


Affirmation

by mischievousmaya



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-02-23
Updated: 2010-03-25
Packaged: 2017-10-07 12:10:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischievousmaya/pseuds/mischievousmaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric and Sookie need to talk about their relationship - picks up a few weeks after the Were Reveal, but does not include anything else from Book 9. As usual, things do not go according to plan. M Rating for later chapters. A/U</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The coffee cup I was holding fell from my hands and smashed onto the floor, my mouth hanging open and a flood of emotions coursing through me. The one that won out was anger. I closed my mouth and narrowed my eyes, with my hand on my hip and stared at the figure standing in my kitchen.

"How dare you enter my home without asking, "I spat at him.

"We need to talk, Lover," he said, slowly making his way over to me, his hand reaching out to mine.

"And you think that coming into my home unannounced and uninvited is the best way to initiate a conversation with me, Eric? There are these fantastic new inventions called 'telephones' that allow you to do the same thing without barging into a person's home without their knowledge," I said as I tried to keep the little spark of happiness of being close to him at bay.

His arm dropped to his side and I saw a flash of annoyance cross his face. I knew that he had let me see it intentionally, because I knew that Eric was a master at controlling his body language.

"You have no right to be annoyed with me, Eric Northman! You're in my house!" I said as I spun around and walked back into the living room. I wished Amelia was at home tonight instead of out of town with Tray for a few days.

Before I had even taken two steps, Eric was already sitting on the couch with a somewhat amused expression on his face.

"You are a stubborn woman, Sookie Stackhouse," he said with a faint smile playing across his kissable lips.

Get a hold of yourself, Sookie! You are not thinking about his lips…or his beautiful face…or… I shook myself and turned around and went back into the kitchen. I bent down to pick up some of the bigger pieces of the broken coffee mug and when I stood up, he was in front of me again. Damn vampires! I put the pieces on the kitchen counter and got out the broom and dustpan and began to sweep up the smaller pieces. Maybe if I just ignored him, he would go away.

No such luck. There was a mischievous glint to his blue eyes as he watched me dispose of the broken cup and then start on the dishes from dinner. I began to wonder how long he would stand and watch me – I was becoming annoyed.

"I can wait all night, Lover," he said, still watching my every move.

I knew if I said anything to him right then, he would think that he was wearing me down and I'd never get rid of him…well, not until dawn at least. But then, I never was one to keep my mouth shut when I should and I thought if he was under the impression that Amelia was due back shortly then he would abandon his plan.

"Amelia will be home any minute, she just popped into town to pick up a movie," I told him, hoping that he would leave and not call my bluff.

"Lover, why do you lie to me? The Witch is out with the Were and will likely not return for a few days, barring some unforeseen catastrophe. You really can be infuriating – all I want to do is talk and I can tell that you are intentionally trying to avoid having a conversation with me. That's hardly what I would expect from such a well-brought up Southern lady," he said with amusement, his deep blue eyes sparkling and a small smile playing on his lips.

Deep breath, Sookie, deep breath. He must have arranged with Tray to take Amelia out of town, he probably even paid for the hotel and dinners all in an attempt to get me alone so that we could have "the talk". Well, I wasn't playing this game. I refused to be coerced (Word of the Day from last week) into a conversation that I simply wasn't prepared to have. Eric had been acting like a jerk to me for weeks – ever since de Castro's take-over and he was not going to sweep in and smile and look amazing…Snap out of it! just because he thought that he could. Granted I hadn't had a lot of experience with men, but I sure knew a lot about courtesy and manners, and right now, it was evident that Eric was falling short. Even if he was well compensated in other areas… Dammit, Sookie!

"So, you arranged for my roommate to be away, did you? Did she know or is it just you and Tray in on this little arrangement?" I asked him, turning once again to go into the living room. Well, if he was going to keep this up, I was just going to go about my evening and try to pretend that he wasn't there.

I had been working a lot at Merlotte's in an effort to get my finances back on track after the Rhodes bombing, knowing that the chances of de Castro paying Sophie-Anne's debt to me was unlikely. It was my first night off in a couple of weeks and I had plans to indulge my girlie side doing things like painting my nails, watching a chick flick and having a long, hot soak in the bath. Flashes of the times I had spent in the bath with Eric littered my brain and I pushed them away. I was angry with him for making the assumption that just because he was ready to talk about things, that I would be too. I didn't want to think about the time that Eric had spent with me while he was under Hallow's curse. I had mourned the loss of my Eric as acutely as I would have the death of any lover.

I was sitting on the couch pretending to examine the colours of the nail polish while listening for Eric. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and while under normal circumstances I would have jumped or been startled, I hadn't moved. His cold hand rested there and instead of my skin cooling to his touch, I could feel my body temperature rising.

He spoke into my ear, barely a whisper, "I am still yours, Lover. I will return to you tomorrow – perhaps you will be better prepared to…discuss…matters."

I could feel shivers running down my spine and I knew without even looking that he was gone. And even though I was furious that he had just appeared in my house, had arranged for Amelia to be away with Tray and no doubt made Sam schedule me for the 1-7 shifts, there was a tiny part of me that wished he was still here. Even though I knew I could rescind his invitation and effectively avoid having any conversations with him that I didn't want to have, I knew I wouldn't. I knew that I was already looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night.

Sam could tell that I was preoccupied and kept glancing over at me throughout the course of my shift. I knew that he wanted to speak to me, I knew that he wanted to ask me what was going on with Eric, but I couldn't have told him anything even if he could summon the courage to ask me. Nothing had happened… well, besides showing up at my house uninvited and unannounced and me sending him packing. But he had promised to return tonight and while I still didn't want to discuss the events that had occurred during his stay with me, I did feel better when he was closer – happier. I didn't like admitting it to myself, but Eric's presence buoyed my spirits and made me feel comforted. I knew it had to be the effects of the blood bond and I was a little worried that it hadn't seemed to fade like I had hoped.

I caught Sam looking at me again as I filled the sugars and I snapped at him, "Spit it out Sam. You've been giving me sideways glances all afternoon, if you've got somethin' to say, just say it."

I was immediately remorseful and wished I could take back what I said and he looked at me in surprise by my tone and words. Sam didn't deserve that and I knew that he'd had a rough go of things since the Weres, weres and shifters had come out of the woods, so to speak. He had only been back in Bon Temps for a few weeks having rushed to his mother's home after his step-father had shot her when he saw her change. I gave him a little smile. I was brought up better than that and I needed to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Sam, that was uncalled for. Look, I'm just about done here and Holly has just walked in – can we talk in your office in a few minutes?"

He looked at me, a trace of hurt still in his eyes. I really shouldn't have snapped at him. He'd been such a good friend to me over the years and he'd even starred in some of my favourite fantasies. He nodded his head and I noticed that his halo of reddish hair looked like it needed to be cut. I looked at him more closely – he face looked thinner and there were dark circles under his eyes. Why hadn't I noticed before? He looked stressed and unhappy and I'd been so wrapped up in my own problems that I hadn't even noticed that Sam was having his own. Some friend I was.

I gave Holly an update on the two tables in my section when she came out and then put away the sugars before removing my apron and heading back to Sam's office. He was hunched over his desk looking at some papers when I knocked on the door. He looked up, obviously startled.

"Are you okay, Sam? I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier – it was uncalled for. I'm just a little stressed out today, but it's nothing compared to whatever you're goin' through right now. Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, sitting down across from him.

He looked so troubled, like the weight of the world was bearing down on him, and yet he still managed to give me a small smile, "I'm fine, Sookie, you don't need to worry about me." He paused and looked like he was trying to choose the right words before he proceeded. "Is everything alright with you? No problems down at your place? I heard that Amelia and Tray were out of town for a few days and Bill's not been around for awhile…is there someone looking out for you over there?"

So he knew that Eric had come by, or was at least planning on coming by. Eric had engineered this whole thing – typical. I sighed.

"Sam Merlotte, you know full well that Eric was around last night because he obviously made you give me earlier shifts so that he could come and talk to me so I wouldn't have the excuse of being tired." He looked at me with an apology on his lips and I raised my hand. "There's no need to be sorry – we both know what he's like. He does what he wants and heaven help those who get in his way. I'll deal with him later – he's coming back tonight."

"Oh," Sam said looking down at a particularly interesting spot on his shirt. "Things are okay between you then. I'm, I'm glad that you got stuff sorted out, Sookie. I just hope it's what you want and what will make you happiest," he said quietly.

"Nothing got sorted out, Sam. I refused to talk to him after he just showed up in my kitchen. He's coming back tonight because he thinks that he can wear down my resistance to him. But he's got another thing comin' because I'm not about to get sucked into his stupid games. It's been kinda nice not having any stupid supe bullshit to deal with." As soon as I said it, I knew I shouldn't have and desperately wished I could reach out and retrieve my last sentence. "I'm sorry, Sam. I meant vampire and Were bullshit. I hate their politics. I didn't mean you," I reached over and put my hand on his.

"I know you didn't mean me, Sookie. I wish you didn't have to be involved in any of it either. I wish that things could be like they used to be," he said wistfully.

I looked at him closely. I wasn't in the habit of reading my friends' minds, but I was worried about Sam and wondered if I should break my rule. If he didn't tell me what was going on, I would have a peak into his head. Something was going on with Sam and I didn't want him thinking he had to protect me from it. Friendship is a two-way street and I'm more than capable of keeping up my own end of it.

"Sam, you're upset about something. Please tell me what it is – maybe I can help you," I said gently, giving his had a squeeze.

He shook his head and looked up at me with sadness in his eyes. I got up and went around the desk to hug him and kissed the top of his head. I hugged him for a couple of minutes and touched his face as I released him.

"Really Sookie, there's nothing you can do. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. Listen, you've got company coming and the last thing I need is an irate vampire coming to the bar looking for you. You better get going. I'll see you on Wednesday," he said getting up and moving to the door.

Wednesday? But tomorrow was Tuesday and I was supposed to work tomorrow. I looked at him, confused.

"You've been working too hard lately, Sookie. I want you to take tomorrow off. Now, get going before Eric thinks I'm making you late on purpose," he said trying to be light, but I could hear the heaviness in his voice.

I nodded and gathered my belongings and went out to my car to make the short trip back to my house. As I got closer, I could feel him. I knew Eric was there and as much as I hated to admit it to myself, the smile creeping across my face was due to the fact that I would be seeing my former Viking lover…despite the fact that I was still mad at him.


	2. Chapter 2

As I turned into my driveway I could feel Eric's presence reverberating through the bond. I tried not to be happy about seeing him because I was still angry with him – not just from showing up unexpectedly and arranging for me to be on my own for a few days, but also because of his behaviour since the take-over. He had had Pam call or check up on me, or Bubba or Bill, but not a word from him. I didn't want to play any of his mind games. I was sick of the way men in my life seemed to think that I was something to be saved, that I was an asset, that I was "young". I was old enough to know my own mind and I was damn well more than capable of taking care of myself. I had proven time and time again that I was not just a weak human – I had saved vampires and humans, had made vamps finally dead, survived Witch and Were wars… What more did they want?

I turned my car off and sat looking at Eric sitting in the rocking chair on the porch. Well, at least he had the courtesy to wait until I was home before going inside. I sighed. He was spectacular to look at and the memories of his gracious plenty and our time together flooded my mind. I pushed them down into the deep reservoir of my mind and tried to quash the warmth that was spreading through my body. I needed to keep a cool head if I was going to get through this. There didn't seem to be any way around this conversation, and if I had gone somewhere other than home to get away from him I knew he would track me. I was just going to have meet this head on. It didn't mean that I would give in to him and his possessive nouns. Mine, mine, mine…blah, blah, blah. I made a face and I saw Eric's lips twitch into a smile before it vanished. I groaned. He was going to be impossible tonight.

His eyes still on me, I got out of the car pulling my jacket around me a little tighter. Even though it was getting on to spring time, it was still cool in the evenings. I got the front door key ready (no point going in through the back when he was standing at the front door) and climbed the stairs to the porch.

"Lover, you are intoxicating this evening," he said keeping a small distance between us.

"Humph," I replied and let myself in.

He didn't follow me into the living room. I turned around to see him still standing on the porch waiting patiently.

"Well, are you coming in or not?" I said with a touch of annoyance. Jesus Christ, Sheppard of Judea, save me from these stupid vampire games.

"I did not want to be presumptuous, my Lover. I wanted to be sure that I was invited in before I joined you," he said leering at me.

"Are you afraid that I'd rescinded your invitation?" I asked.

"I knew that you would not…have not…I know that you do not have it in you to banish me from your life. Our bond would not allow it," he said simply. "May I come in?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and thought for a moment. Did I dare rescind his offer just to make the point that I could? I would never get rid of him if I did that. He would skulk around the house and the woods and even if I couldn't see him, I'd always know that he was there. And besides, if I was really being honest with myself I knew that I wanted to get things out in the open and stop living in Eric/Sookie limbo. Knowing that it was over would be far better than secretly harbouring a hope that we might be together. Whoa…together? I guess there was some part of me that wanted to be with him…okay… a little part of me. I was just so afraid of being hurt again. I was reluctant to trust him – well trust any man other than Sam. I mean, of the four men I'd been with, no real good had come out of any of the brief relationships. I'd never heard again from Preston Pardloe, not that I was really expecting to. And look at the disasters that were Quinn and Bill. And then with Eric's distance over the last months…well, I wasn't too eager to jump into a relationship with anyone.

"Yes, come in. Let me get changed and I'll get you a True Blood. I have a couple of bottles of AB neg if you'd like one," I said as I made my way to my bedroom.

I looked across at Octavia's now empty room before shutting my door. I missed the older Witch but was secretly happy to have a little more room, and really, a little more time to myself. She had returned to New Orleans to work with her coven in the rebuilding (and some re-magicking) of the city. I knew that she was pleased with the work they were doing and she still called every few days to check in with Amelia – no doubt to make sure she hadn't turned anyone else into a cat. I wondered how Bob was doing.

I took my hair out of its ponytail and brushed it out before braiding it and letting it hang down my back. Looking in the mirror I could see some puffiness and dark circles under my eyes and I looked a little worn. Well, I had been working a lot lately and not really sleeping well. I went into the bathroom in order to put a little cover-up under my eyes and stopped myself before my finger touched my face. What am I doing? I am not doing myself up for Eric Northman. I washed my hands and went back into my bedroom where I quickly stripped off my work uniform and put on a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt and cardigan. Evaluating myself in the mirror I thought I had struck a good balance between not caring and still looking good.

I warmed a bottle of True Blood for my guest and went back into the living room to find Eric sitting on my couch. He looked me up and down and I looked at him as I gave him the bottle before sitting down in the chair across from him. He had his hair pulled back in a pony tail and a tight black Fangtasia t-shirt showed off his wide chest and covered one of his Norse inspired belt buckles and pair of black jeans. He was in his sock feet – so I assumed that he was settling in for awhile and that he was trying to show me that he did have some manners. He sipped from his bottle, looking relaxed and I eyed him warily. Neither of us said anything. Another game – a waiting game. A who-could-hold-out-the-longest-without-talking game. I wasn't very good at these games, but I was getting better. I vowed to not be the first to talk.

We sat in silence for about fifteen minutes, Eric's expression becoming more amused and the minutes ticked by. I was finding it very difficult to stay quiet and I didn't know how much longer I could hold out. I studied his face and let my eyes drift down his arms to his strong hands. Hands that had known every inch of my body…that had gently swept back the hair from my face…that had held me…that had brought me immense pleasure… Dammit! Eric chuckled quietly and smirked at me and I returned his look with the best look of disgust and anger that I could muster. 25 minutes had now passed without either of us saying anything and I could feel his warmth pushing across the bond. I pushed it down and ignore it – I wasn't going to let him get to me.

A surprised look crossed his face. "What did you just do?" he asked me.

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized that I was holding. Thank goodness he talked first – I didn't know how much longer I could take it.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything – I'm just sitting here waiting for you to get on with your 'talk'. Really, what's the point of going to all the trouble of getting me alone, if all you're going to do is sit there and look at me?" I asked him somewhat exasperated.

He looked at me intently; his blue eyes seemed to bore a hole right into my head.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Have I grown a second head? Honestly, Eric, you're so strange sometimes," I said to him crossing my arms.

Eric laughed and it echoed in my body. "Sookie, you may be infuriating and you are most definitely stubborn, but you are above all else, an amazing woman," he said. He stood up and I drank in all 6'5" of him, he held out his hand to me. "Will you join me?" he asked.

"Where are we going? I'm not in the mood for your games, Eric and I'm not leaving my property." He was right, I could be stubborn.

He turned around to take his jacket from the couch ensuring that I got a good view of that delicious butt of his. "Come, Sookie. I promise you won't have to leave your property. I will be nothing but the perfect gentleman. Come, put on your shoes and coat, I have something to show you." He went over to the door and put his shoes on.

Seeing that I wasn't going to play nicely, he retrieved my cranberry jacket (the one he had given me) and a pair of shoes and came over to where I was still seated. He knelt down and took one of my feet and put my shoe on. Was Eric Northman seriously putting my shoes on for me? Hmm…Well, it wouldn't hurt just to go out and see what was out there. It is my house and my land after all. After he had laced up the second shoe I stood up and he held my coat for me as I slipped it on. He walked through the kitchen to the back door and I followed him out into the backyard.

My jaw dropped. For the second time in two days Eric Northman had surprised me. This time, however, I was stunned in a good way.


	3. Chapter 3

I stood on the back porch, looking stunned at the transformation of my backyard. I was speechless. I just stood there for a few minutes, taking everything in, every little detail. When I glanced over to Eric, I could see that he had an expression on his face akin to that of Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. Well, he had every reason to be pleased with himself. I felt a bit of the ice that was encasing my heart melt.

The tree branches were strung with tiny fairy lights that illuminated the garden in the dark night. Surrounding the table in a semi-circle in the middle of the yard were pillars with lit candles with a path leading up to the stairs of the porch. There were three heat lamps around the table to provide warmth – I guess he planned to be out there for awhile with me. Rose petals were strewn on the ground around the table and along the candle-lit path and I could see a vase with white and red roses sitting in the middle of the table. It looked like a scene out of a cheesy chick flick and it took my breath away.

I turned to Eric and looked up into his deep blue eyes and he smiled down at me – the smile he used to give me when he was my Eric. A torrent of emotions swirled through my body but when he held out his hand this time, I placed mine in his and let him lead me down to the table. I was still looking around in wonderment as he held out the chair for me and I sat down. In an instant he was sitting across from me, his eyes searching mine for an indication of how I would respond. This was, without a doubt, the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me – not that I'd had a lot of experience. And yet, there was a little tug at the back of my mind that wanted me to be skeptical of his grand gestures. Eric had had over a millennium to practice the art of seduction and I wasn't sure if this was solely an attempt to curry favour with me so that he could continue to use my telepathy.

"Lover, why do you not say anything? Do you not like it?" he asked, searching my face for a clue of what I was thinking.

Really, what girl wouldn't love this? Was I so damaged that I couldn't enjoy a gesture – or had I been around vampires and the rest of the supe community to be wary of any acts of kindness, knowing that they always came with a price?

I decided to be honest with him. "It's beautiful, Eric. It's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me. I just can't help wondering why you're doing it. What is it that you want me to do for you, what are you trying to soften me up for…what's the end result going to be?" I could hear the bitterness in my voice and I knew he did too because he sat back and studied me for a minute before speaking.

"Sookie, you've been honest with me and I should be honest with you. I do have an ulterior motive for this evening," he said carefully. "Yet, it is not what you think it is. What I want is for you to be happy. Pam has informed me, as has the shifter that you have changed. And I see for myself that it is true. You have developed a hardness in your heart, in part from the experiences you've had with the were tiger and with Compton. I fear that it is in part from how I've treated you. I realized last night that it would take a lot for me to find myself back in your good graces. Sookie, we need to decide how we are to precede, one way or another, because it is driving me mad."

I took a deep breath in and released it. So…this whole thing is driving him mad…well, that's just great. I crossed my arms over my chest and I felt his confusion come through the bond. I pushed it back through the bond at him, tinged with a bit of my anger.

He tilted his head, deep in thought for a moment. "Sookie, you did it again. You're doing something to the bond. You actually pushed my thoughts back at me and coloured them with your anger. How long have you been able to do this?"

"What? I'm not trying to do anything. You're abusing the bond – you're trying to make me feel things that I don't want to feel. I don't care if you're confused about my response. I don't want to feel you through the bond so I stopped it. What's the big deal?"

"Most peculiar, but we can discuss that later," he waved his hand dismissively. "We need to discuss this…thing…that is between us. I can feel your anger for me and I can only assume that it is due to the lack of contact I've had with you. But you must realize that there has been much to be done since de Castro took over. My hold over Area 5 is tenuous at best with Sandy and Victor constantly around me looking for a reason to depose me. It has been a matter of safety; not only for myself, but for all those I employ, to ensure that they have no reason to doubt my fealty to the new king. I have looked out for you and tried to ensure that you felt that I still wanted to be involved with you by having Pam call you…"

"Or Bill stalk me or Bubba stand guard outside my house…yeah, yeah, yeah," I cut him off.

He slammed his hand down on the table forcefully and roared, "Dammit, Sookie!" I jumped, startled by his reaction. "Do you think that I would do these things if I did not have feelings for you? Do you think that I want to have these feelings for you? You have awoken something in me that I had long since forgotten, and I do not relish the idea of such an exposed weakness that Victor and de Castro can exploit. It would be easier for me if I could just kill you, but I can't," his voiced softened. "Since recovering my memories of my time with you while I was under that wretched witch's curse, I can think of nothing but you. I was in love with you. I believe that I am in love with you. And I believe that you love me too – if only you weren't so stubborn, you'd admit to yourself that you are."

I didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone who tells you in one breath that he wishes he could kill you because it would make his life easier, and then in the next that he loves you? It was true that I hadn't really thought of what he was going through since the change in power. Pam had alluded (Word of the Day from last Monday) to some difficulties with the new hierarchy, but hadn't really elaborated. If Victor and Sandy were constantly present, then it would have been nearly impossible for her to say more. She had probably taken a risk telling me what she did. Still, I was stuck on the killing me part. That isn't really what a girl likes to hear even if it's followed with a confession of love…He loves me. He loved me. I looked up at him; I could see his anger and frustration with me lingering on his face. But I couldn't feel anything in the bond. I couldn't feel the bond. I was confused and a little scared. Where the bond used to be, there was only a cold void.

"Tell me that this is what you want and I will do it," he reached over and held my face, staring into my eyes, preventing me from looking away. "Tell me that this is what you want to feel for the rest of your life and it is done."

Tears began to well up in my eyes. It wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want that feeling of cold touching my soul for the rest of my days. Despite having railed against it, hated it and resented it for the past few months, not having it was worse.

Eric let me pull his hand from my face and I wiped the tears from my eyes. "I don't want to feel like that. I want it back," I whispered.

He sat back in the chair with a satisfied look on his face and I felt a rush of warmth and comfort come through the bond. He had taken this as a sign of my submission to him, a signal of me wanting to be his.

"You are mine, Sookie, do not forget that," he said.

"I am mine. I belong to no one. Don't think that I've forgotten that you've just said that it would be easier if you just killed me. I may have feelings for you, scratch that, I do have feelings for you. But do you really want me to hate you? If you ever do that to me again, I will hate you. You will be the cause of my soul icing over, and I will not just hate you, I will hate everything. If I had to exist like that for too long, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, and if I couldn't live with myself…well…there's not much you can do with a dead telepath," I hissed at him. Was I being a little melodramatic? Maybe. But there was no way that I wanted to live for the next fifty years like that.

He gave me a serious look. "Lover, do you not realize that that is precisely what you did to me not once, but three times this evening? The fact of the matter is, is that we will have to come to some sort of understanding that is acceptable for the both of us before we end up despising one and other. I fear if we do not, it will be the death of us both."

I sighed. I'm glad that he had the presence of mind to put heat lamps around the table. It was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5

I was thirsty, but before I could think about getting up to go and get something there was a glass of ginger ale in front of me. Eric knew me too well. He would have known that I wouldn't want to drink alcohol while we discussed things; that I would want to maintain a clear head. There was no doubt in my mind that wherever he had stashed the ginger ale that there was probably a bottle of champagne beside it. Always the optimist that Eric Northman, and always prepared. I sipped at my soda and watched him. I wished I could figure him out the way that he seemed to have me figured out. He could always anticipate what I would do next and it was absolutely maddening. It didn't seem fair that he had this apparent insight into my psyche and I knew nothing about what drove him. That wasn't true. I knew that his thirst for blood drove him. That his unshakeable will to survive drove him. I had no illusions about the fact that under what could at times be a caring and attentive lover, was and always would be a cold-blooded vampire.

Eric had done so much for me over the last two years. He had taken bullets for me for goodness sake! He had had my driveway paved and he had nursed me back to health after I was staked. He had come to my aid countless times, I just wasn't sure it was for selfless reasons.

"What are you thinking about, Lover?"

I sighed and looked around my backyard; I could be living every girl's fantasy right now, if I just gave in. I knew that Eric would forever shower me with gifts and lavish gestures; I knew that he would keep me safe from harm. But what would I have to give up in order to have those things? I had never cared about material things, and if I wasn't involved in all the supe politics I would be safe. I knew though that I had traveled too far down that path to ever separate myself from it. What did I want? I wanted to be loved and cherished; I wanted to be respected and to be the number one priority for someone. I wanted to be able to give that back to someone without them breaking my heart. Was Eric able to do any of that? Could he on some level really love me? I knew that I could love him if I let myself be open to it, I just wasn't sure that it was worth the risk.

"I don't know if I can do this, Eric. I don't know if I can be what you want me to be," I said, my voice tinged with sadness.

"Tell me, Sookie, what do I want you to be?" His eyes probed mine, and he studied me like I was a jigsaw puzzle that he couldn't figure out. The thought of Eric doing a jigsaw puzzle made me smile a bit.

"You want me to be yours. You want to possess me, but I don't think that you actually want to be with me. I have no intention of being some glorified fangbanger, hanging off you and at your every beck and call. I am my own person, and I like making my own decisions – I don't like being told what to do or who I can see, or where I can go," I said, letting my gaze drift over to the house.

He snorted.

Well, that certainly wasn't the response I was expecting.

"Really Sookie, you really are the most infuriating woman I have ever known – and that's saying a lot because I'm over a thousand years old." I looked up at him and he continued, "Do you really think that I want you to be a glorified fangbanger as you call them? As much as you drive me crazy with your incessant questioning of my motives and actions, and your unparalleled stubbornness, I would not want to change you. It is precisely because of those things that makes you unique. You challenge me in a way that few others would dare to. You have a wonderful sense of humour and you are a kind, caring and generous woman. Even though you have had little schooling, you are bright and resourceful. Yes, it was your ability to read minds that first piqued my interest, but it was you that sustained it. I have never pursued someone so relentlessly, at least in a romantic sense, in all of my years…I have never had to. You are so different to what I am surrounded by, it is your being that intrigues me," he watched for my response and I could feel myself warming from the inside out.

"What happens when you get bored of me?" I asked.

He let out a loud laugh that if I had any close neighbours, would have undoubtedly woken them up.

"You think that I could become bored of you? Lover, I don't think I could bore of you even if we were together for a thousand years," a smile played across his lips and his eyes dance with amusement.

I could feel my will weakening. But if he thought that a little sweet talk would be enough to get me into bed, he had another thing coming. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. If he wanted me, he was going to have to work for it. Sookie Stackhouse was nobody's fool.

"I'm not just going to invite you into my bed because you flattered me, you know," I said to him.

He reached over and put his cool hand on mine. "I would expect nothing less from a Southern Belle such as you. Tell me what I need to do to earn your favour, Lover," he said leering at me.

"If you want to see me, you're going to have to call me and ask me out. Take me out to a movie, or dancing, or for a coffee. Sending Pam to collect me and deliver me to Fangtasia is not a date. I've been hurt too much to just rush headlong into what could potentially be another disaster. You need to earn my trust back, Eric. You need to stay in touch with me – call me or send me a text…it doesn't have to be everyday, but just so I know that you're there."

"I can do that, Lover. It has been a very long time since I had to pursue a woman. But if this is what you would like, then I can do this for you," he said to me softly.

I smiled a little; my head bowed and raised my eyes to see him looking at me intently. "It would go a long way to rebuilding my trust in you."

"I'm curious Sookie, you speak of not trusting me, yet you have taken great risks at your own personal safety in order to save me. If you do not trust me, then why would you do such things?" he asked, his blue eyes searching mine once more.

"Eric, I trust you with my life…it's my heart I don't trust you with."

"My Lover, I will endeavour to keep your heart safe from further harm. I promise you. Now, the hour is getting late and I'm sure that you are very tired and would like to get some sleep," he said standing up. God, he's beautiful. He extended his hand out to me and I took it. I looked around me; I should clear this stuff up before I go in. "My Lover, do not worry about this, it will be gone by the time you wake in the morning."

I let him lead me along the rose strewn path up the stairs and to the door. He turned to face me, barely an inch between us. I looked up at him and he stroked my face. I had an overwhelming urge to kiss him at that moment, but instead he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.

"May I see you tomorrow night, Sookie?" he asked as he released me from his embrace.

"Yes, I would like that, Eric," I said, smiling up at him.

"Good, I'll be here at 8 tomorrow night."

He wrapped his arms around me again and I melted into his chest. It felt so right to be held by him. I felt the hurt of the last weeks dissipating.

Eric lowered his head and whispered into my ear, "For all that you do not want to be changed by me, and be something that you are not, you are asking me to change for you. But I will do this for you. I would only do this for you. Until tomorrow night, Lover."

And in an instant he was gone. He always did seem to know how to make a girl want more.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up in the morning feeling different. I felt lighter, like a dark cloud had been swept away by the sunshine. Apparently the sunshine had a name as well – Eric Northman. I was still dubious (Word of the Day for Sunday) about Eric's motives, but I felt as though he was truly trying to build a relationship with me. I didn't want to start making too many plans for the future or fantasizing about the nights we would spend cuddled together because I didn't want to get my hopes up. One day, or rather night, at a time. Let's see how tonight turns out, and then we can go from there. I couldn't suppress my smile and a little giggle though and I rolled over to see a note on my dresser. Eric's familiar script was on it and I got up to retrieve it before climbing back into bed. What was a day off if you didn't get to sleep in and indulge yourself a little?

My fingers traced my name and I felt a little flutter in my heart before I opened it and pulled out the letter.

My dearest Sookie,

I thought you might be able to find a use for

the table and chairs and the heat lamps, so I've

left them for you. If this is not to your liking, please

leave a message for my day man and he will ensure

that they are removed.

I look forward to seeing you tonight. I will count

the minutes until I can hold you again.

Yours,

E.

I re-read the letter a few more time before putting it back into its envelope and placing it in the drawer of my nightstand. My clock read 12:30. I groaned and closed my eyes, then reluctantly got up and started to do some chores. I started a load of laundry and mopped the kitchen floor and vacuumed the living room carpet. I scoured the kitchen cupboards and swept the porches. It felt good to be busy, to not be thinking about anything…or anyone. When I was satisfied that I had cleaned every surface to Amelia's and my grandmother's high standards, I flopped down on the couch and looked at my watch. It was 4:00. That left me four hours until Eric arrived.

I turned on the radio and sat on the couch, where Eric had sat last night, imagining myself wrapped up in his embrace. My thoughts drifted and I didn't try to concentrate them on one thing. I thought about the men that had been in my life over the last couple of years. Men with hard outer shells, strong willed men who would fight through any adversity that came their way. Yet, they had shown tenderness that I hadn't expected. I remembered how Alcide had looked when he abjured Debbie Pelt, that stony gaze that closed his face to any emotion…yet, he seemed to enjoy the idea of us playing at being married when we were investigating the murders of the females Weres in his pack. And Quinn…Quinn, my one time lover, the pit fighter, the betrayer. But he had done it to ensure the safety of his family and I knew that he was heartbroken when I told him that it was over. Then there was Bill. Bill was a mystery to me most of the time, but he had been tender with me when we were alone, even if he had ultimately broken my heart. These men had risked their own safety to keep me safe, yet it wasn't enough to hold together a relationship. And now, Eric…

Eric was so difficult to figure out. I knew he desired me, that he wanted to possess me…but was he capable of loving me the way that I wanted to be loved? Was he right? Was I trying to change him? He did have an annoying habit of being right and I was hoping that this was one instance where he wouldn't be. Was I expecting him to act like a normal human man, when he so obviously wasn't? I'd read enough Cosmo to know that there was always some give and take in a relationship and that women who expected that their partners were going to change were in for a huge let-down. Would that happen to me? Could I really expect that he would stop being vampire and be content with just being with me? Did I even want that? My head was spinning with all of the unanswered questions that swirled around me.

For so long I had held onto the memories of when Eric had amnesia and somewhere in my heart I had hoped that he would remember and become that Eric again. But that would be robbing him of who he really was, and I had fun with the Sheriff of Area 5 Eric. He could make me laugh and infuriate me and challenge me. As the Sheriff, I considered him a friend. There had always been some sexual attraction between us, and I clearly remembered how good in bed he was, but would that be enough for me?

The voice on the radio announced that it was 6pm. I jumped from the couch and hopped into the shower letting the hot water wash away the confusing thoughts and the grime from a day of cleaning. I used the fruit scented shampoo and conditioner and some vanilla scented body wash. As I cleaned my body, my mind drifted to a delicious memory – the memory of a shower that Eric and I had shared so long ago. I shook my head and turned off the water, getting out and drying myself off with a fluffy pink towel. I couldn't let myself get caught up in that memory, not with Eric coming over or I would have even more difficult to stay out of bed with him. I blow dried my hair and curled the ends, carefully applied some eyeliner and mascara and a little pink lip gloss before standing in front of my closet. I pulled out at least a dozen tops, holding them up in front of me before discarding them on my bed. I didn't want to overdo it, but I still wanted to look good. Finally I settled on a pair of dark wash jeans and a red v-neck sweater that exposed just enough cleavage without being slutty. I put a pair of gold hoops in my ears and a simple gold necklace on and turned myself this way and that in the mirror as I took in the overall effect. Pleased with the way that I looked, I headed into the kitchen to warm up some leftovers. The clock read 7:15pm.

Forty-five minutes until Eric would arrive. I ate quickly and washed the dishes, all the while butterflies winged their way through my stomach. Despite what I might say to him, I was excited to see Eric again. I just couldn't let him know it, although he probably could feel it through the bond. 7:40pm. I looked around the living room and paced. Deep breath. The romance book I had taken out from the library caught my eye from across the room. Hmmm…maybe a romance isn't the best thing to read right now. I looked at the bookshelf where Amelia had put some of her non-witchy books and selected one called "The Monster of Templeton" by Lauren Groff, it looked promising. I curled up on the couch and started reading the first page, barely two paragraphs in there was a knock at the door. I glanced at the clock above the mantelpiece – 8pm. It was him.

Tempted to just call out to Eric to let himself in, I thought better of it. How many times had there been someone, or something, out there that I did not want nor expect at my door. I got up and looked through the peephole to see my beautiful Viking vampire standing there with a bouquet of exotic flowers in his hand. Smiling to myself, I pulled the door open and let the warmth and love he felt for me flow through the bond.


	6. Chapter 6

Eric held out the flowers for me and I smiled at him as I inhaled their fragrance. This night was off to a good start.

"Come in, Eric," I said holding the door open for him. "Make yourself comfortable, I'm just going to put these in some water. Can I get you a True Blood?"

Eric stood at the door and watched me as I went back to the kitchen to put the flowers into my great-grandmother's crystal vase. "Did you want a True Blood, Eric?" I called to him.

"No thank you, Sookie. I thought we could go to Shreveport to a new bar that just opened up, unless you would prefer to stay here," he answered. His voice sent involuntary shivers down my spine.

I thought about it for a minute, it would be nice to get out of Bon Temps for the night, and really, who wouldn't want to be seen next to such a beautiful man? Besides, we could always come back here afterwards for… I banished the next thought from my head. No need to start out the night wanting to jump his bones, it would be hard enough to control myself after spending hours next to him.

With the flowers safely in their vase, I made my way back to the living room, drinking Eric in. I let my eyes start from the tips of his black leather boots, up his black jean clad legs, to his intricate belt buckle and the deep blue shirt that covered his strong and muscled chest. He was wearing a black leather jacket and his golden hair cascaded down his back. I caught the smile that played on his lips and felt the heat of the blood rushing to my cheeks. I'd definitely been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

"Do I pass inspection, Lover?" he asked, grinning broadly and his fangs ran down a bit.

"Uh, yes you do," I replied. Two can play at this game, I thought to myself. I straightened my back and thrust my chest out a little, taking a deep breath to show off my cleavage. "And do I pass yours?" I asked coquettishly, fluttering my eyelashes at him.

I could tell that he was trying to control himself and I felt a burst of lust and passion across through the bond. He growled and his fangs ran completely down, before he shook his head and regained his senses.

"You've decided to play, have you Lover? Well, I am on my best behaviour this evening, and I will not let you tempt me. You do, however, look exquisite – as always. Shall we get going before we find it difficult to leave?"

I gave him a sly smile and went to put on a pair of black heels that were in my bedroom. When I came back out he was holding my cranberry coat out for me to put on. Whenever I put that coat on, I felt like I was enveloped in Eric, which was why I had barely worn it over the winter – I didn't want the memories of him making me more miserable than I already had been. He held out his arm for me to take, and I linked mine through his as we walked down the stairs to his awaiting Corvette. Eric held the door open for me and I slid in to the leather seat, making sure to buckle my seatbelt. Even if Eric knew how to drive well under high speeds, I could never feel comfortable in the car with him.

He was in the car in a flash and we were backing out of the driveway and onto Hummingbird Lane. It wasn't long before we were speeding along the interstate and my knuckles were white as they gripped to the side of the door. Instinctively Eric slowed the car to a speed just 15 miles over the speed limit and my body relaxed. The Viking chuckled and I shot him a dirty look which just made him laugh harder. I had to admit that it was kind of funny and I felt my lips twitching as they tried to suppress a smile.

"Stop trying to be angry with me, Lover. It takes too much effort and it doesn't become you," he paused and turned to look at me. "How am I doing so far?" he asked.

"Well, the driving is to be expected, but the fact that you're just slightly going over the speed limit is good. You're doing really well. Tell me what the bar is like – what's the name of it? Is it a vamp bar, a supe bar…who should I expect to see?" I bombarded him with questions.

He turned his head and watched the road. "Well, it's called MacLean's and it just opened up a couple of nights ago. It's the new hotspot in Shreveport – after Fangtasia of course. It's an upscale place – martinis and cosmos, beautiful people, supes who mainstream…it'll be fun. Trust me," he said smiling mischievously at me.

I knew that smile. He was up to something. "How are you connected to this place? Is it a new venture?" I asked.

His eyes widened and he cocked one eyebrow before turning back to the road. "Lover, you're so suspicious of me," he said with mock hurt in his voice.

"Mmhmm…And you didn't answer the question," I said.

"Fine. But you are absolutely no fun when you are like this. I do own part of it, but it is not a direct involvement, rather one of my companies has invested in it. They will not know me as an owner – but they will know me by reputation," he leered at me as he said this last part.

I turned my head to look out the window and smiled to myself. He really was incorrigible, but it was part of what made him so sexy.

"Lover, I can feel what you are thinking and you are being naughty. If I didn't know any better I would think that you were going to try and seduce me tonight," he said with amusement.

My cheeks flushed for the second time that night. "I most certainly am not!" I said indignantly.

Eric's laughter filled the car and my heart warmed to hear it. I could see the lights of Shreveport around me and knew that it wouldn't be long until we arrived at our destination. I was right – Eric pulled up in front of a bar in the downtown area with MacLean's on an understated sign above the windowed façade. There was a line to get in and a bouncer (a Were that I didn't know) out front. Eric was opening my door for me before I even realized that he had gotten out of the car. I took his offered hand and stepped out onto the sidewalk as a uniformed valet came over to park the car. Eric held on to my hand as we walked towards the door and with a nod to the Were we entered the bar.

I looked around me and took in my surroundings, trying not to look like a small town girl in the big city. I could sense the mood in the bar shift when Eric and I started walking towards the back. I knew without lowering my mental shields that they were admiring Eric, and who wouldn't? He was beautiful and I felt a little inferior standing next to this magnificent being.

"You are more beautiful than anyone in here. They are looking at us because they cannot believe that I am so lucky to have such a goddess as you standing next to me. Your rightful place is beside me, stand up straight, Lover. Let them drink in your beauty," he whispered into my ear.

I grasped onto his hand a little tighter and smiled up at him, seeing the love that he felt for me in his eyes. The shirt he was wearing brought out the blue in his eyes and the corners crinkled slightly as he smiled warmly down at me. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and led me to a table at the back. If I had ever been under the impression that I had the upper hand in this whole thing, I knew at that instant that I was wrong. When Eric looked at me like that, I knew without a doubt that I was meant to be with him and that I would follow him to the ends of the earth. The butterflies started again in my stomach and I pasted on my nervous smile as we walked past the full tables. A flood of calm and pride from Eric washed over me and I felt the tension leave my body. If he had felt what I was thinking through the bond, he didn't let on.

Eric waited as I sat down in the booth first before sliding in beside me. MacLean's was decorated in muted reds and creams with dark hardwood and soft lighting. It was cozy and yet gave off the aura of being modern, with contemporary artwork from local artists adorning its walls. The crowd was made up of well dressed twenty and thirty-somethings that had money to burn. Glancing at the drinks menu, I had to suppress my shock at the price of a glass of house wine – it was more than a pitcher of beer at Merlotte's. I was never too adventurous with my alcohol so when the server came over I ordered a gin and tonic and Eric ordered a Royal Blend.

"What do you think?" he asked, studying my face.

"I think it's beautiful – but I feel out of place here," I told him.

"Lover, it is all of them who are out of place when standing near you," he said brushing a strand of hair from my face.

I had missed his touch, and my body ached at the simple gesture. He cupped my face in his cool hand and looked into my eyes, smiling slightly.

"I have missed you, Sookie. The time that I was apart from you was extraordinarily difficult, but it was what needed to be done to survive…to be able to be here with you now. I am sorry that I hurt you, but you must understand that I did the best that I could under the circumstances. Being here with you now brings me such joy. Just being able to touch you again, sit close to you again, hear your heart beating and feel the warmth of your skin again…I wasn't sure that it would be possible. But you are here, and while you may not fully trust me, I hope that you will soon. I meant what I said, Sookie – I do love you."

Before I could respond, and really, how does a girl respond to that; the server arrived with our drinks and placed them before us. Just as he was about to ask if we'd like anything else he felt Eric's eyes on him and then saw the angry Viking's face and the server hightailed it back to the bar. But when Eric turned to face me again, his expression had softened and the warmth had returned to his blue eyes. I took a sip of my drink and kept my eyes cast downward. Eric stared at me intently, his eyes seemed to bore a hole in my skull and then I heard him sigh and lean back against the booth.

Snap out of it! This is supposed to be fun; nothing has changed in the last five minutes… Eric only gave the guy a look – he didn't hurt him. That's a vast improvement.

I took another sip of my drink and turned to face him, he was just raising the glass to his lips, but he set it back down on the table. He didn't say anything to me, he didn't have to. I could feel the disappointment through the bond, and I felt a little ashamed. It wasn't polite to say nothing in return when someone tells you they love you. Eric had just poured his undead heart out to me, and I had said nothing. I looked down at the table again before looking back up at him. He crossed his arms and watched me; I could tell that he wasn't going to say anything until I did.

I took a deep breath and began, "Eric, I wasn't thinking of the situation that you were in with de Castro. I was hurt and I was angry and I didn't care that you were trying to let me know that you were thinking of me when you would send Bill or Bubba or have Pam call me. I know that wasn't fair to you, but I couldn't help it – I was really hurt. I do have feelings for you. I hate to admit it, but when I'm around you, I feel happier…I feel like a whole person again. During the time we were apart, I felt lost, I was unhappy and I resented you. I'm not sure how long it will take to forget those things, or even if I ever will, but I'm willing to try. I'd rather have you in my life than not in it at all. I missed you."

He smiled at me – not a victory smile, but a relieved one. He leaned over and kissed me tenderly on the mouth and my body felt like it would burst from the heat that it created. He pulled away from me and stroked my hair and then rested his hand on my cheek.

"I knew you were going to try and seduce my tonight, Lover," he said grinning at me.

I punched his arm and he laughed. "Sookie, I have missed you too. I give you my word that I will try to make up the hurt and the pain I have caused you for the rest of my days. I will never allow anything to keep us apart from this night forward. I will continue to court you until you are able to find the love for me that you once held. I will be worthy of your love," he said seriously.

I could feel my insides turning to Jell-o, and I reached up and stroked his face. I wanted to feel him inside me again. I wanted to erase the pain and loneliness of the past months in his embrace. I knew that I had resolved to not sleep with Eric until I could be sure of his intentions, but that resolve was quickly evaporating. I took my hand from his face and he picked up his glass and took a long drink from it. I stirred the ice in my glass and decided to lighten the mood a bit.

"How's Pam? I feel awful that I snapped at her the last time she called, I imagine that she was under a lot of pressure. I miss her – and I miss the way that she teases you," I said smiling.

"Pam is doing fine. She is very fond of you, Sookie – even if she won't admit it to herself. She still looks for new ways to torment the humans while not pushing them completely over the edge…she's an artist. And she is relieved that you have agreed to see me again. She says that she needs more ammunition against me, and with you around it is plentiful."

I giggled. "I always knew I like Pam for a reason. You know, it's weird but I consider Pam a good friend. I would be devastated if anything had happened to her during the takeover."

Eric patted my hand reassuringly. "I would not let anything happen to Pam – not only because she is my child, but because you are so fond of her. I do know that she holds you in great esteem and is looking forward to seeing you again. She's hoping that you can give Felicia a good scare…she's been telling her that you're not only a telepath, but a powerful witch who does not like to be trifled with. If Felicia weren't already dead, I think she would have a heart attack the next time you come into Fangtasia due to the stories that Pam has been telling her."

And so the next few hours passed in easy conversation and laughter, and I felt the gulf between us disappearing. It wasn't long after midnight when Eric's Blackberry went off. He ignored it at first, but I waved my hand as if to give him permission to take it. He quickly sent a message off and put the device back into his pocket.

"Pam says hello, and is impressed that you're still here with me. She thought that I would have screwed things up by now. She has such little faith in me where you're concerned," he said smiling.

"Hmm…Pam knows you well. I'm surprised that you haven't screwed things up yet either," I said grinning.

He narrowed his eyes at me then let out a roar of laughter. "I have missed you, Sookie Stackhouse."

I put my hand over his and looked up into his eyes. "I've missed you too, Eric Northman. What do you say we head back to Bon Temps?" I cocked my eyebrow at him and smiled mischievously at him.

"Lover, have I told you how magnificent you are?" He threw down a few twenties, grabbed my hand and whisked me out into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Eric drove back to Bon Temps at warp speed and I barely noticed. His hand stroked my thigh as I played with his beautiful blond hair. The sexual tension was palpable and all of my promises to not have sex with him had long been forgotten. The past few hours were wonderful and I had felt my heart opening up to him again. I knew that it wasn't all due to the bond between us – I could tell that he was being very careful of what he sent through to me. It was the honest enjoyment of his company, the way that he made me laugh and our shared past that had created large fissures in the heavy shield around my heart. I couldn't forget that he had ignored me for the last few months, but I could try to understand that the entire vampire world did not always revolve around me. Eric had responsibilities, people who depended on him for their safety, and it should be seen as a mark of his honour that he took them so seriously. But right then, in his corvette, speeding down the interstate to Bon Temps, all I could think of was getting him into my bed.

He pulled into my driveway and around to the back of the house before turning the car off. The security lights gave off a soft light and I was able to make his face out in the darkness of the car. He turned to me and gently cupped my face in his hand before leaning over to kiss my forehead. It was hardly what I was looking for at that moment.

"Sookie, you can change your mind if you want to. I do not want you to wake in the morning and regret your decision from tonight. I want you to be sure that this is what you really want," he said searching my eyes.

"Don't you want this, Eric? I mean, aren't you always angling to get me back into bed?" I asked him, a little confused and a little angry at the thought of being turned down by him.

The Viking smiled at me before he answered, "Lover, I would like nothing more than to take you to bed, and have you over and over again until dawn approaches. My concern is that it was only two days ago that you kicked me out of your house. I would not want our passions to overtake us and spoil the chances of a proper reconciliation. I do not want you for only one night – I want you for eternity, and I worry that you may perceive this as a mistake, or feel that my intentions toward you were…"

I moved over and kissed him hard on the mouth. Eric was a brilliant strategist, but sometimes he could over think things. I did the only thing I could think of that would effectively make him stop talking and make my point. He returned my kiss and then pulled away. What now? Ugh! I was becoming annoyed.

"Eric, I am a grown woman, and even though I may only be human, I still know what I'm doing. I want to be with you tonight, although if you keep pulling away from me, I may change my mind. I had such an amazing night with you, and I meant what I said when I told you that I had feelings for you. I don't know what I can say to convince you that I want to sleep with you, to feel you inside me. Maybe I can show you," I said as I started rubbing his gracious plenty through his pants with my hand. A thought occurred to me just before I heard him moan…he was a sneaky bastard! He had just made me beg to have sex with him! But the thought left my head before it had time to take root as he pulled me closer to him and started to kiss me roughly while his hand began exploring my body.

The loud ringing of my phone shattered the moment briefly, but I ignored it because Eric had me in his arms in a flash of vampiric speed and was ascending the steps to the house. He was looking at me lustily and I know that I had the same look in my eyes. My body ached for him and all I could think about was the moment that I would feel him inside me again. My phone started ringing again and it broke through my lust and desire. It was Sam. I had programmed his number to ring with a specific tone and it was in danger of ruining a very good thing. It's 1:30 in the morning! What does Sam want that can't wait 'til tomorrow? Eric was taking me into my bedroom and I knew from the look in his eyes that he had already mentally undressed me. My phone started ringing again. Eric grabbed my purse and flung it into the bathroom before he laid me down gently on my bed. He leaned over me and gently kissed my neck, when my phone rang for a fourth time. I pushed Eric away from me and I heard him growl as I ran into the bathroom to retrieve my purse and my phone. Sam wouldn't call me at this hour, four times in a row, if it wasn't important. The beautiful Viking sitting on my bed glaring at me would just have to wait.

"Lover, whoever it is can wait – come back to the bed. I want to show you how sorry I am about our months of separation," his deep voice sent a shiver down my spine and I felt my body throb as I searched through my purse to answer my ringing phone.

"I have to take this, Eric – it's Sam. He wouldn't call me if it wasn't important," I said to him and in the next breath I answered the phone.

"Sam? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Sookie? Thank god. I don't have much time. They're coming for me; I have to get out of Bon Temps. I'm already on the road and I can't tell you where I'm going. Can you look after the bar for me?" Sam's voice was strained.

"What? What's going on, Sam? Who's after you? I can help you – tell me what's going on," I pleaded with him, panic in my voice.

"Sookie, I…"

I heard a loud crash and the line went dead.

"Saamm!!!" I screamed into the phone. My world crumbled around me and I felt tears spring to my eyes.

Eric was at my side in an instant, his arms around me, guiding me back to the bed. I sat down on the edge, the phone still in my hand, tears streaming down my face. I didn't know what to do. Eric gently pried the phone from the iron grip I had on it and re-dialed Sam's number as he kneeled in front of me, his free hand clasping mine. He did this another couple of times before he closed it and turned my face to his.

"Tell me what happened, Sookie," he said softly.

I just looked at him. I could feel my heart breaking. Please don't let Sam be dead. Please don't let Sam be dead. Please don't let Sam be dead. Eric repeated his request and I opened my mouth to tell him, but I couldn't voice the words. I had to snap out of it. Whatever had happened to Sam, wherever he was, I had to find him. I was instantly glad that Eric was there, because no matter what his feelings were for my friend, he would not let anything happen to him if it would cause me pain. Eric would move heaven and earth to find Sam. I had to pull myself together. My beautiful Viking vampire handed me a tissue and stroked my face, his eyes full of worry. I knew that he had been bombarded by my panic, my dread, my fear and my distress through the bond, and not for the first time, I was thankful to be bound to him.

"Tell me what Sam said to you, Sookie. Let me help you," he said again.

I was so afraid to say the words. I didn't want it to be real. I knew though, that we would be able to find Sam faster if Eric could start searching and calling his contacts immediately. Time was of the essence, and right now, it wasn't on our side.

"He said that someone was after him, and that he had to get out of Bon Temps…he was already on the road and he wouldn't say where he was headed. I have no idea how long ago he left. He asked me to look after the bar…oh god, Eric…he could be anywhere and I know he's hurt…I heard an awful crash right before the line went dead. I don't think I could bear it if he was dead…we have to find him, Eric. Please... we have to find him," the words tumbled out and the tears began to fall harder as the sobs wracked my body.

Eric took me in his arms and stroked my hair as he whispered, "I promise that I will find him for you, Sookie. I need to call Pam and we need to get things started. I promise that we'll get Sam back."

I noticed that Eric hadn't promised that he would find Sam and bring him home alive, and I knew that he couldn't make that promise. The fact that he was willing to help, after I had been so horrible to him for the last couple of nights spoke volumes to me in that moment. I watched Eric go into the hall to start making phone calls. No matter what had transpired between us, he was always there for me when it counted. He cared for me and I knew it in my heart that he loved me. All of the unresolved feelings that I had for him would just have to wait though. Right now, I needed to find Sam.

Eric was walking back into the bedroom, still talking on his phone, "Right, Pam, okay. Tell me what you find out….yes, I will…no, no need to alert him…contact Herveaux…yes, send him now…update me when you can…" He closed the phone and walked over to me, picking me up in his arms.

I relaxed instantly and buried my face in his chest as he went into the living room and sat down on the couch. My arms were still tightly around his neck as he covered me with the ancient quilt and stroked my hair. Gently, he raised my face to look at him and he kissed my forehead.

"Sookie, Pam is contacting Herveaux and she is sending Bill out to track Sam…"

"Bill's back?" I interrupted him.

"Yes, he arrived back earlier tonight. He is already on his way to Sam's place to see if he can pick up a scent and try to find out anything he can. There is not much that we will be able to get done tonight, but we will do everything we can to try and find your boss. Sookie, we will find him and I will punish those that took him," he said with conviction.

It had not escaped me that Eric was referring to Sam by his name rather than "the shifter" as he mostly did. I wanted to help them look, but I didn't know if I could hold myself together. Sam had been my best friend, and I considered him family…oh god…yesterday came flooding back to me. It was obvious that there was something going on, and I had been so wrapped up in my own drama that I hadn't pressed him to find out what it was. I should have tried to find out what was going on with him. I should have tried to read his mind, even though it was hard with shifters, I could still get impressions, and it might have provided a starting point. This was all my fault.

"Shh…Sookie it isn't your fault," Eric whispered soothingly into my ear, but I didn't want to be soothed. I threw off the quilt and disentangled myself from the Viking.

"I'm going over to Sam's, if you'd like to join me. I know Bill is going to be there, but Sam was acting weird yesterday, and I didn't press him to tell me what's going on, and now… I'm going over to Sam's," I said determinedly.

Eric got up and held my arm, I tried to twist it away, but his grip was firm. "Sookie, before you go, I would like you to pack a bag. I think you should stay with me for a couple of nights until we figure out what's going on. Whoever is after Sam could be using him to get to you, or it could be part of a larger plot. I do not think that you are safe here tonight. I do not want to pressure you, or make you feel uncomfortable, but I think you should stay with me."

I looked at him. I didn't want to stay with him, but I didn't want to stay alone either. God, I wished Amelia was here. I knew that the wards she put up were good, but, I just didn't want to be alone. Eric's house would not be my first choice of places to stay, I'm sure Tara and JB would take me in, but I couldn't call them at this hour, and I would never knowingly put them in potential danger. I didn't fancy driving back and forth from Shreveport to work, but I didn't have a lot of options. I would stay tonight, after all, Amelia would be back tomorrow and I'm sure Tray wouldn't mind staying over.

"Okay. Just for tonight though. Amelia and Tray will be back tomorrow. I'll have to drive though, or else I'll have no way to get back here tomorrow for work," I said to him.

"Sookie, you will have to leave your car. I have one that you can borrow to come back in the morning. If someone is watching you, I don't want them following you to my house. It would be too difficult to lose someone that is following us if we have two cars. We will take mine. Hurry though. It's almost 2:30 and we will only have a few hours before I need to sleep."

I sighed. There was no point in arguing with him. I knew he was right, and I didn't want to waste any more time. I went into my bedroom and threw some things into an overnight bag and was back in the living room putting on my shoes in less than five minutes. This time when Eric held out my cranberry coat for me to put on, I didn't feel the romantic expectation I had only hours earlier. A fleeting thought occurred to me as I locked up the house and got into the car. Why was it that whenever I was with Eric, trouble always seemed to find me?


	8. Chapter 8

We were in the parking lot of Merlotte's in no time, and for once I was glad that Eric drove like a maniac. Bill was checking the nearby tree line for scents and evidence of trespassers when I got out of the car. I took Eric's hand as he led me over to speak with Bill. His cool hand gave mine a squeeze and he was sending calm and warmth through the bond, which I was grateful for. I guess there were occasions when having the bond was a good thing – Eric was lending me a strength that I wasn't sure I had.

"Compton, what did you find?" Eric called to Bill who was still searching for clues around the back of Sam's trailer.

Bill appeared in front of us in the blink of an eye and gave a slight nod to Eric before speaking. "I can detect two vampire scents and that of a Were – they are recent, within the last two hours."

Just as I was about to ask what two vamps and a Were would want with Sam, a familiar pick-up truck pulled up beside Eric's car. The Shreveport packmaster, who was also one of the few men I've dated, joined our little group. Any other time I would have felt awkward being surrounded by these men at the same time, but tonight all my energies needed to be focused on finding Sam.

Alcide looked from Bill to Eric, his gaze finally landing on me and travelling down to my hand tightly grasping the Viking's beside me. I caught a flicker of a look on his face and ignored it. I really needed as much help as I could get right now, and I didn't want Alcide to have any reason not to help – after all, Sam wasn't a member of his pack, even if he had helped during the Were war.

"So, what have you found? Is there something that we can track? It doesn't look like there was a struggle here – how do we know that Sam didn't just take off?" Alcide asked.

"Alcide, Sam didn't just take off – he wouldn't do that. He's in trouble, I know something bad has happened, and we're just wasting time," I said, trying to keep the panic in my voice to a minimum. Eric let go of my hand and wrapped me up in his arms, planting a kiss on top of my head.

"It's going to be okay, Sookie," Eric murmured into my ear.

I needed to pull myself together. I needed to be strong for Sam. I could feel the hot tears sliding down my face and making Eric's shirt damp. Feelings of love and comfort flooded the bond and he stroked my hair. Somewhere in the back of my head I knew he was loving the fact that I was in his arms at the moment and not the arms of one of our companions. Right then, I didn't care. He provided a comfort for me that the other two men could not.

Eric got Alcide and Bill up to speed. "Sookie got a phone call from the shifter about 40 minutes ago. He asked her to look after the bar for him, that he was in some sort of trouble and that he was on his way out of Bon Temps. The last thing Sookie heard before the line went dead was a crash. She said that he had seemed worried about something – she feels like it's her fault that this has happened because she didn't try to do something for him. I promised her that we would find him, and I have every intention of doing so. Until we find out who is behind this attack, Sookie will stay with me. Have you heard anything regarding the shifter, Herveaux?"

Alcide looked at Eric thoughtfully. "Sam kept to himself mostly. There aren't too many true shifters around, and they're loners…they don't run in packs like the other Weres do. He did me a favour once, and I'll help you find him. Do either of you know if he has any family that he would go to?"

"Sookie said that he has family in Texas, but I do not believe that he would go there. I know very little about him – but he has been a loyal friend to Sookie and protected her when we were unable to… Sookie? Can you think of anywhere that Sam would go?" Eric lifted my face up and looked at me with concern.

"I don't know…He was real private about a lot of things – he didn't talk a lot about his past, and Merlotte's was his life. He was here all the time. Wait… I'm sure he mentioned a friend in Mississippi…ugh…where was it…Valley Park? It was close to Delta National Forest – I think his friend is a shifter…I'm sorry I can't think of anything else," I wished I had asked Sam more questions about his life instead of always talking about my own problems.

Eric rubbed my back. "That's good, Sookie. We have a direction – a place to start looking."

"He would take the I20 to Route 61 to get to Valley Park. We don't have enough time to look for him before dawn, Eric," Bill said softly. He turned to Alcide. "Would you be able to spare any trackers? I will gladly help tomorrow night if he has still not been found, but there is not much more that I can do tonight."

To Alcide's credit, he didn't have to think about it before answering. "I have a few good trackers- I'll send them out now. We'll continue the search during the day, and will update you at sundown. I don't like the idea of a shape shifter going missing in my area – especially under such circumstances. Maybe you should contact Norris as well. He might be able to help – he sure knows the land around here, and he knows Sam better than I do. Maybe he has some other ideas of where he could be headed."

Bill and Eric nodded their heads and Bill stepped away to make a phone call. I assumed it was to Calvin Norris over in Hotshot. I should have thought of him before. Alcide talking to someone from his pack, and a tiny sense of relief sparked inside me. We were finally doing something. We would find Sam. Eric pulled me close to him and kissed the top of my head.

"Let me take you home, Sookie. You're exhausted, and you need to rest. Is there someone that can open the bar in the morning?" Eric asked quietly.

I looked up at him, grateful that he was here with me. "I can ask Terry to stay and let everyone in. He's opened up before, but I'll have to come in at some point."

Eric handed me his phone and I dialed Terry's number, feeling guilty that I was no doubt waking him up. He answered on the second ring and I told him as much as I felt I could, saying that Sam had had another family emergency and would be gone for a while. Terry didn't doubt my story and agreed to stay and help out after he finished the cleaning in the morning.

"Take me home, Eric," I said him.

He sighed. "Sookie, you shouldn't be in your house tonight. It is not safe – not now that we know that there are at least two vampires involved in all of this…"

"Take me home to your house," I cut him off. "I want to stay with you tonight. I don't want to be alone. I want to stay with you."

Eric hugged me to his chest and I breathed in his familiar scent. As he stroked my hair, I felt myself melt into him. He picked me up in his strong arms and I wrapped mine around his neck, burying my face into his chest. He called to Bill and Alcide to let them know that we were leaving, and I heard them promise to call with updates as they got them. I knew that Eric would find Sam. As the Viking gently placed me in the car, I could feel the tug of sleep at the edge of my brain. Eric got on to the interstate and headed towards Shreveport and I knew that there was something I was missing from tonight…there was something I was supposed to know but I just could latch on to it. Eric reached over and stroked my face. Just before I gave in to sleep, it occurred to me that 24 hours ago, this was the last place I thought I would be. I smiled a little at life's ironies just before sleep overtook me.


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up just as Eric was closing the bedroom door. "Where are you going? Can you stay with me for a little while?" I reached my hand out to him.

He stood looking at me for a moment; no doubt he was running through all the scenarios of what might happen if he joined me in the bed. "I just need you to hold me for awhile…is that okay?" I didn't want him to think that I was looking for sex – I was looking for comfort.

The Viking came back to the bed and climbed in under the covers beside me – fully clothed. I could feel him sending calm and comforting feelings through the bond and I relaxed into him as he spooned me. I felt him kiss my head and I closed my eyes while he hummed some ancient lullaby that I had never heard before. He stroked my hair and in that moment I felt like I was home. This was my Eric. This was the tenderness and the closeness that I had been missing all these months. And all that it had taken to make it happen was something happening to Sam.

Sam.

My eyes jerked open and I rolled over to face Eric. He looked at me quizzically.

"Eric, why would vampires be after Sam? I know that there's something about all of this that you're not telling me. Why weren't you surprised that there were vampire scents around Sam's? And why is a Were going around with a couple of vamps?" I asked each question without pausing for him to answer.

Absentmindedly he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Sookie, it takes a great deal to surprise me anymore. Vampires are predictable in their ruthlessness and drive and thirst for power. I have no idea what Sam has gotten himself involved in – I do not believe it has anything to do with you. Hopefully Herveaux and Bill will discover a lead tonight and we can find him. Has Sam ever mentioned anything about the business to you? Has he mentioned any partners or trouble with suppliers… anything that may help us determine who would want to exact some sort of revenge on him?"

I thought hard about the conversations that Sam and I had had over the years. He wasn't really forthcoming with details of his past, and all I knew was that he'd been in the service for four years before leaving and that the money that he'd used to buy the bar had been an inheritance he'd received after his father's death. I relayed those details to Eric, but I didn't have a lot of other information to go on about his life before he opened Merlotte's. Sam was so gentle and kind; I just couldn't see how someone would want to hurt him.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and Eric leaned over to kiss my forehead. He pulled me close to him and stroked my hair.

"Shhh, Sookie…It will be okay…We will find him, Sookie… Please, no more tears, Lover…It's going to be okay…" he whispered in my ear.

I pulled back a bit and looked up at him, his blue eyes held only concern and love in them. I wiped the back of my hand under my eyes and smiled slightly at him.

"Guess this wasn't quite the ending to our date that you were hoping for…me crying over the disappearance of another man while in your bed," I tried to make my words sound bright, but they were ringed in my sadness.

"We'll have many dates, Sookie. I know that you are upset about your friend, and I am thankful that you are allowing me to provide you with some comfort right now. I am thankful that you are letting me do this for you," Eric said quietly and he kissed my forehead again.

I snuggled a little closer to him and rested my head on his chest. I was grateful that I was here with him. I stroked his arm, then his chest and then my hand drifted to his face and I stroked his cheek before I lifted my head to kiss him. He returned my kiss before pulling back from me and searching my eyes.

"Sookie, I know that you are upset right now, and I do not want you to do something that you will regret in the morning. I don't want our reunion to be one night. I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage of you, because I can wait for as long as you need me to," Eric said gently as he rubbed my back.

"Eric, we were at this moment a few hours ago, and I wanted you then. The only thing that has changed is that I no longer have doubts about us. I know that you love me, and I don't think you would have called the in the Supe troops to find Sam if all you wanted was a roll in the hay. I know that you did it because of me. And right now, I just want to be with you. I want you to hold me, I want to feel you inside of me, I want to feel the comfort of being together with you," I told him, kissing his lips again.

He kissed me back a little more forcefully and I ran my tongue along his fangs. My Viking was a good kisser. In just a few moments I could feel my desire for him heating my body from the inside out. I kissed his jaw line and made my way down his throat and along his collarbone. He lifted my face back to his and kissed me gently, his hand cupping the back of my head. Breaking away from me, Eric sat up a bit more and slowly (human speed) unbuttoned his shirt. I breathed out audibly and a small smile played across his lips. I smiled back at him and lifted my sweater over my head to expose my dark blue lace bra to him. He growled appreciatively and gently caressed my breasts before pulling me back to him. As our kissing became more intense I moaned a little and reached behind me to unclasp my bra, Eric grabbed my wrists and placed my arms around his neck before deftly removing it without me even noticing. I began to kiss his chest and took first one nipple and then the other into my mouth sucking and teasing them. Eric moaned a little and I continued to move my mouth down the trail of golden hair to his pants.

I got his belt undone and then his pants and tugged them down to release his gracious plenty. Eric shimmied out of his pants the rest of the way and kicked them to the floor. I breathed in audibly again as I drank in the naked Viking for the first time in months. He was beautiful. I sat back on my legs and started to unbutton my own pants and the next thing I knew I was on my back and Eric was taking them off for me.

"You are so beautiful, my Lover," Eric said huskily.

His cool hand trailed from the base of my throat, between my breasts and continued down my stomach before he took my matching thong off and threw it behind him. My body felt like it was on fire and I arched my back a bit as he caressed my throbbing nub. A moan escaped my lips as he dipped his finger inside me and began to massage my core, hitting my sweet spot immediately. He peppered my stomach with kisses and light nips before making his way further down. His tongue circled my nub and I moaned again as his fingers kept up the steady rhythm, bringing me closer and closer to the edge.

"Look at me, Sookie," he growled.

I opened my eyes and watched him as waves of ecstasy overtook me and I called out his name. "Eric…oh, god… oh, Eric…I need you…I need you inside me…" I panted.

He didn't need any further encouragement and in an instant he was inside me. He grabbed my hips and started moving in and out of me slowly, almost completely coming out of me before sliding all the way in again. I moaned again and he lowered himself over me, taking in first one nipple and then the other, his fangs grazing my flesh. I dug my nails into his back as I bucked hard against him. Eric said something in a language that I didn't understand as he rode me harder and I cried out his name again. I could feel myself reaching the point of orgasm for a second time and just as I was about to reach the edge he sank his fangs into my breast sending crashing waves of pleasure over me just as his own release came.

Eric licked the fang marks on my breast and swept the hair away from my face. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of him still inside me. I felt him kiss my forehead and my eyelids before he whispered into my ear.

"Lover, you are amazing."

I opened my eyes and a mischievous smile played across my lips. "You're not so bad yourself, Viking."

Eric roared with laughter. We disentangled ourselves and he lied on his back with me curled up next to him, my head on his chest. I wished the moment would last forever, but sleep was threatening to overtake me and I wanted to make sure that he would still be there when I woke in the morning.

"Yes, Sookie, I can stay here with you while you sleep. There are no windows in this room and there is a double door. When you awake in the morning you will find everything you need downstairs in the kitchen. There are items in the bathroom for your use. Please make yourself at home. The entire house is secure, not even Pam is aware of this location, and no one will find us. We will have much to do tomorrow. I will send Felicia to the bar tomorrow night, so that you will be able to help in the search for Sam."

It never ceased to amaze me how organized Eric was. He always seemed to have everything under control. I kissed his chest and murmured a sleepy thank you as I began to drift off.

"I love you, Sookie," Eric whispered.

Even as sleep was overtaking me, it still registered in my mind.

"I love you, too, Eric."

And then, I was out.


	10. Chapter 10

When I awoke I had no idea what time it was but I did have a big smile on my face. Eric's bedroom was windowless and there didn't seem to be a clock anywhere either. It took me a minute to orientate myself and the events of the previous evening came crashing through my consciousness. I lifted Eric's arm off of me and surveyed the room. It had a high vaulted ceiling and was painted a buttery cream with the focal wall a deep brick red. The bed was enormous – a Californian king and the frame was in a dark walnut, the headboard intricately carved with matching carvings on a large dresser on one wall. There was a dark brown leather easy chair in the corner with a matching ottoman and floor lamp behind it. A small table beside the chair held a couple of books that he must be reading. The room was sparsely furnished but there was a warmth to it, partially due to the deep red curtains that hung where the windows would be. A large walnut chest at the foot of the bed that reminded me of the hope chest that Gran had kept in her room. I was tempted to see if he kept quilts and afghans in there like Gran or if he kept something else in there. I remembered my manners before my curiosity got the better of me and went in the direction of the two doors that were close together.

I was sure that one would lead to the bathroom and the other was a walk-in closet, and I picked the bathroom door on the first try. I would have like to see what was hiding in Eric's closet, but again, it wasn't polite to snoop and I stepped into the bathroom, marveling at the size of it. It was enormous. I think my mouth gaped open. It was paneled in cedar and was easily twice the size of my bedroom at home. There was a Jacuzzi tub that must have seated four or five people, a huge shower with all of those lovely spray jets that protruded from the granite tile walls and a large vanity with a double sink. The large vanity really didn't surprise me much – I was, after all, in Eric's house. I looked around for the toilet so I could attend to my human needs and found a little door that enclosed what I was looking for.

When I finished up, I hunted down a soft towel in a recessed cupboard beside the vanity and then reached in and turned on the shower. I stripped down and left my clothes in a pile on the floor and got into the shower. The hot water felt good beating down on my back and I stood there for a few minutes just letting the events from last night streak down my body and get washed down the drain. While I should have been reliving my reunion with Eric, or reminiscing about our last shower together from so long ago, my thoughts were on Sam and what could be happening to him. I've never wished I was psychic – being telepathic was hard enough, but right then I would have given anything to be able to know where Sam was. I allowed myself a little indulgence as I breathed in the scent of Eric's shampoo and soap and a small smile crept over my face. There wasn't time for fantasies, not when my friend was in danger. I finished up quickly and dried myself off with the towel, making sure to hang it up so it would dry.

I didn't want to put last night's clothes on again, but as I didn't know where my little overnight bag was, my options were pretty limited. I felt refreshed when I re-entered the bedroom and located my purse and fished out my cell to check what time it was and if there were any messages. It was then that I noticed a little envelope beside my purse. Eric's familiar writing was on the front of it and I opened it up quickly.

My dearest Sookie,

I know that the events of last night are upsetting,

but hearing you tell me that you love me made my

soul sing again.

I put your clothes away in my closet if you would

like to change. Please help yourself to some of the

food downstairs and avail yourself of the laptop

I left out in the living room. Please feel free to use

anything you need to.

I have ensured coverage for Merlotte's while we are

looking for Sam – I know that you will want to be

with the search team. Tray will help out during the

day, Felicia at night and I've sent a couple of the human

staff to help the waitresses out. Clancy will also be

available if he is needed.

If you need to leave for any reason, I have left you keys

to the BMW (you didn't think I'd let you drive the corvette,

did you, Lover?) in the garage. I've keyed in the address

to the house into the GPS. The code to the house is 56837.

I will wait for your return before setting out this evening if

you are not home by the time I rise.

I cannot wait to see you tonight, Lover.

Love,

E~

He really did think of everything. I was so glad that he was on my side. Then I re-read the first lines. Shit. In my sleepy state I had told Eric I loved him. This wasn't the time to start worrying about it though. Sam was still out there somewhere- I would deal with the situation when we found him. I checked my messages and there were two from Alcide – one saying that they were able to pick up Sam's trailon the I20 and that he seemed to be headed to Valley Park. The second message relayed that they had found Sam's abandoned truck on the side of 61, and that it didn't look good. The trackers felt that Sam was still alive when he was pulled from the wreckage though and they were still tracking. Okay. So he could still be alive. The vamps would have had to have gone to ground around 6:20 this morning. The Were may have decided to go one without them, or stayed put. All of the different scenarios ran through my head. I needed a plan. It was almost noon. I needed to call Alcide back and see where they were and I needed to check on the bar and to find out if I could get in touch with whoever Sam was on his way to seek refuge with. My stomach growled. I also needed to eat.

When I looked into the refrigerator, I was surprised to see it fully stocked. There were eggs, milk, orange juice, butter, peppers, onions, True Blood…really, all the things that I would have in my fridge at home. For a second I thought about how strange it was that I considered synthetic blood to be a normal fridge item. I didn't mull on it for too long though, and got out the ingredients for an omelet and looked through the cabinets until I found a frying pan and a spatula. I found some coffee and put on a pot, when it finally occurred to me that if this was Eric's secret lair, it was awfully well-stocked for human visitors. I decided to store that away in my question box for when we had time to discuss such things.

Twenty minutes later, I was done breakfast and had almost finished cleaning up. I found keys (not the Corvette keys) and went into the garage to see what I would be driving. Sweet Jesus. I hope I don't get into an accident. There was a midnight blue BMW Z4 Roadster parked beside the Corvette. I couldn't see why Eric preferred me driving this car to his – they were both far more than I would make working at Merlotte's in three years. I guessed it was a guy thing. I was almost afraid to get in, thinking I should call a cab….and potentially lead unwanted guests to Eric's daytime hiding place. Nope. I would just have to be careful with the BMW. I got in and familiarized myself with the car and then slowly backed out of the garage and onto the driveway.

It was then that I got my first look at Eric's house. It was a red brick house with a two-story porch painted in white. It had ivy creeping up the walls and immaculate landscaping. There didn't seem to be any close neighbours – it made sense that Eric would want something secluded as his private home, although I was sure he had others as well. I shifted the car into drive and followed the paved circle in front of the house until I was headed to the gates of the house. I looked for a button that would allow me passage through the wrought-iron gates and saw two garage door opener things attached to the visor. I pressed one of them and saw the garage door close in my rear view mirror, so with my incredible powers of deduction I pressed the other one and the gates swung open.

I rolled through them slowly and they closed behind me. I wasn't sure which way to go and I started cursing until I remembered that Eric had already programmed the GPS for me. I followed the directions that "Mindy" gave me until I was back in Shreveport. I could make it back to Bon Temps from there but I couldn't quite figure out how to turn "Mindy" off and keep my eyes on the road, so she continued to give me directions all the way back to Merlotte's. I pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, making sure that it was secure before heading into the bar.

Tray raised his head and looked at me as soon as I walked in. He nodded his head to me as I had a quick word with Holly and one of the new waitresses, Sheila. I made my way to Sam's office, letting the lunchtime chatter seep into my mind, hoping that I would hear something that would help to explain Sam's disappearance. People were thinking about Sam, but no one was thinking of where they'd abducted him to. I thought the chances would be slim that someone around here would have something to do with what happened to my boss, but I had to try.

Just as I was about to sit down at Sam's desk, Tray appeared and closed the door behind him.

"Tray, thanks so much for helping out like this. I really appreciate it – I know Sam does too," I said to the Were as he lowered himself into the chair across from me.

"It's no problem, Sookie. Things have been a little slow at the shop, and if I'm working here it means that I can be with Amelia a little more. Have you found out anything?" he asked.

"Alcide and his trackers think he's still alive, or at least he was after his car was run off the road. Sam was heading to Valley Park; I think to see an old buddy of his. You wouldn't happen to know who he was going to see, would you?" Tray shook his head. "It was a long shot. I have to find out who he was going to go see – if I can find that out, maybe I can find out who's after Sam and why they took him. I really do appreciate you helping out, Tray – I'm so worried about Sam." I willed myself not to cry.

Tray stood up, walking around the desk to put an arm around me. "You'll find him, Sook. Why don't you check out his trailer, see if you can find some letters or photos or something that will help lead you to the person he was heading too." I nodded and stood up – I wasn't the damsel in distress this time. I was going to be the knight in shining armor.

I headed through the employee door and walked across the parking lot to Sam's trailer. I didn't need to bother with finding the right key, because it was obvious that the lock had been jimmied. The door swung open and I reached to the wall to turn the overhead light on. Sam's place was a mess. Someone had definitely been looking for something. There were papers strewn all over the floor, the coffee table had been turned over, the television was lying face down on the carpet…how was I going to find anything in this mess? I picked up some random papers and found nothing of interest. I wonder if Sam's got a secret safe hidden behind a picture or under a floorboard… And then it hit me. There wasn't a safe in here, but there was in the bar.

I hurried back over to the bar but before returning to Sam's office I poked my head around the corner and called to Tray.

He came over and asked what he could do to help.

"Actually Tray, do you think you could put a new lock on Sam's door? Whoever it was that took him, jimmied the lock and now it won't close properly. I don't want to leave it open while he's gone, and the place is a disaster – someone was looking for something...probably where he could be headed. I don't think they found anything though because all of Sam's personal stuff is locked up in a separate safe in here."

"No problem, Sookie. I'll give Amelia a call and get her to pick up a new lock on her way over and when Felicia gets in I'll go over and install it. Do you want me to get Amelia to put up some wards or anything?"

"That would be great, Tray. Thank you so much," I told him and crushed him (as much as you can crush a Were) in a bear hug.

I went back into Sam's office and lifted down the painting behind his desk. It took me a second to remember what the combination was – when Sam had first told me about it, I hadn't really been paying attention. He had said that he needed someone to know where all his important documents were in case something happened to him. I had brushed it off, wondering what could ever happen to Sam, steady, hard-working, kind and generous Sam. That had been two years ago that he told me, and I knew there was a trick to remembering what the combination was. I sat down in his chair and thought about all the things it could be. Shit! I was so close at a tangible clue, and I couldn't get into the damn safe! I looked down at his desk and saw a book of animals peaking out from under a pile of invoices.

I got it on the first try. Dean. Sam had wanted something that no one else would guess but would make sense to me. I smiled for a second at the thought of my collie friend sleeping at the foot of my bed, keeping me company. There was a metal box inside the safe and I pulled it out and put it on the desk. There was a life insurance policy, some stuff from the bank with account numbers, a safety deposit box key and a letter addressed to me.

I picked up the letter and traced my finger over Sam's familiar scrawl. I hoped that this was going to have information in it and not a declaration of love. I opened Sam's letter and began to read.

Cher,

I know that if you're reading this then my past has finally caught

up to me. I always knew it would. Please don't look for me, I don't

want you to get caught up in my problems, and I don't want you

to get hurt. Sookie, you've been such a good friend to me, and I

want you to promise that you won't come looking for me. I need

you to do two last things for me – contact Jack Martin in Valley

Park and tell him I left. The other favour I ask is that you get

yourself out of all of the Supe politics. Leave Bon Temps if you

have to, just keep yourself safe.

I wish things could have turned out differently, Sookie.

Love,

Sam

Dammit, Sam! What have you gotten yourself into? I fished out my cell phone from my purse and called Alcide to give him the update. We had a concrete lead now.

"Herveaux," Alcide's voice came across the airwaves authoritatively.

"Alcide? It's Sookie. Where are you?" I asked.

"We're in Valley Park. We lost the trail. I'm sorry, Sookie," he said.

"Well, I've got the next clue, Alcide. I know who he was going to see in Valley Park. I'm going to try and find out some more about him when I get back to Eric's. We'll meet you guys there tonight. Did Bill make it out there with you last night?" I hoped he had found a suitable place to rest for the day.

"He went to ground not long after we found Sam's truck. He's going to meet us here tonight. What's the name you got? I haven't contacted the local Packleader yet- I wanted to wait until we had something concrete to go on. But, now that you have a name, assuming it's a Were, we can start digging us more information."

"His name is Jack Martin. Sam left me a letter asking me to contact him. I don't want to phone him, 'cause if he gets spooked then we won't get any answers out of him. I want to wait until we get there tonight before we speak with him. Sam wrote that if I was reading the letter, then his past had finally caught up to him. I don't know what that means, but I'm damn well going to find out," I said emphatically.

"Sookie, did you say Jack Martin?" Alcide asked with a touch of worry in his voice.

"Yeah, why? Do you know him?" I couldn't see Sam getting involved with someone dangerous – other than me on a bad vamp day.

"Just get here as fast as you and Eric can. We'll hold the fort until you get here."

Alcide hung up before I could ask anymore questions. Weird. I tucked Sam's letter into my purse and put everything else back in the metal box and then closed up the safe and hung the picture back over it. I gathered up my things and went back through the bar. It was full and Tray was busy behind the bar filling drink orders, so I couldn't ask him anything. I waved to him and he nodded his head before I went out to the parking lot and got into the car.

It was 4:30. I figured it would take me about an hour and a half to get back to Eric's and he would be rising about half and hour after that. Being so old he was able to get up an hour or so before the sun actually set. I kept within the speed limits and my mind turned over the new information that I got. There was a name. Jack Martin. I wondered why that name had seemed to spook Alcide. I wish I could have asked Tray about him…I would have to do a search on him when I got back to Eric's.

Eric. He had told me he loved me. And I had repeated the words back to him. I could acknowledge that I had feelings for him, I could stand up and testify that he was great in bed, but…I wasn't quite sure that telling him I loved him was just a reflex, or if it was a reflection of what he was sending me through the bond, or if I was just in denial. I'm sure if Pam was there she would have spouted some advice from Dear Abby, and then told me to stop being so childish and just admit it to myself. There was just so much going on, and so many emotions wreaking havoc with my heart and my brain that I really didn't know if I meant what I told him. As I pulled off the main road and onto Eric's little lane I pushed the thoughts of love to the back of my mind and re-focused them on Sam.


	11. Chapter 11

I found myself in Eric's understated and masculine living room. There were exposed beams in the high ceiling and the walls were painted light beige. The large windows were framed in chocolate raw silk curtains and the furniture was leather and comfortable with clean lines. There was an old brick fireplace on one wall and a big flat screen television on the one across from the couch. I sat down on the couch and opened the laptop that was sitting on the coffee table in front of me. In no time I was googling the name Jack Martin. I don't know what I expected to pop up in the search results – 'history of a suspicious were', 'what I did on my summer vacation with Sam', 'how to live a secret life'… I couldn't even find a listing for him in Valley Park – I hoped that Alcide had had better luck with the local Packmaster. I thought about the fact that Alcide was a little spooked when I mentioned Jack Martin, but as he didn't feel like sharing why, I would just have to wait until Eric rose and ask him about it.

I searched a little more for anything to do with Jack Martin, but came up empty. The clock above the fireplace indicated that I had about forty-five minutes until Eric would rise. Trying to be pragmatic like the Viking, I thought of stuff that we would need and decided that I should have it ready so that we would just be able to leave.

In his room I gathered my clothes and put them into the duffle bag that I had brought with me the night before and then added some clothes for Eric as well. I grabbed a little bag and popped some stuff from the bathroom into it before placing it in the bag with our clothes and carried it downstairs. I tried to think of what else I would need. Food – we always seemed to get caught in these crazy situations and there was never any food, frankly I was surprised that I wasn't a size four when I thought about all the times I'd had to go without. I guess I made up for it when I was back in safe territory – and certainly I'd consumed a little more chocolate than normal over the last number of months while Eric was absent. Maybe I should be happy that I wasn't a size fourteen.

I found a backpack in the front closet and put some apples, oranges and trail mix (really, this wasn't the type of stuff that you keep around when you don't have visitors – vamp or human). I grabbed a few bottles of True Blood and popped them into the bag along with some bottled water. I seriously doubted that we would need them, but I was just so tired of not having stuff when you really needed it. I heard water in the pipes and realized that Eric was awake and having a shower. He was downstairs five minutes later, and I had the two bags beside the door, ready to go, while I sat on the couch.

"Lover," he greeted me. "I was hoping that you would be beside me when I awoke, but I see that you have been busy preparing us for what lies ahead." He kissed the top of my head and gently stroked my face with the backs of his fingers.

A little wave of contentment washed over me and I looked up at him. He smiled down at me and pulled me to my feet, leading me over to the kitchen where he heated up a True Blood.

"Tell me what you found out today, Sookie," he said, taking a drink from the bottle.

I recounted all that I had found out, which really wasn't very much, but more than I had known the night before. As I finished, Eric's phone rang and he answered brusquely.

"Pam, any news?...I see… Do we know who hired them?... And the Were?...We'll be leaving shortly… No, I do not see any reason…Pamela… Fine… We'll pick you up on the way," he said as he hung up the phone.

"Pam's coming with us?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, she was adamant, and I suppose it would be prudent to have a third vampire with us when we still don't know exactly what we will find. Although I believe that the two vampires were just hired muscle, and it is not a vampire matter. Now, you said that Sam was heading to see Jack Martin… I have not heard that name in a long time – I thought he was dead to be honest."

"Well, let's hope he isn't. Alcide sounded apprehensive when I told him that's who Sam was going to see. He's apparently in Valley Park, but I couldn't find anything about him – not even an address. Hopefully Alcide was able to get some information from the local Packmaster. Who is this Jack Martin guy anyway?" I was getting perturbed (Word of the Day) that no one was offering up any clues about who this Jack Martin was.

Eric went to the kitchen to heat himself up a True Blood and I followed him, waiting for an answer.

He took a sip and looked at me for a second before he began. "Jack Martin is a shifter. Nobody has heard from him in years – it was assumed that he was dead. This is apparently not the case."

If Eric thought that what he just told me was going to be enough of an explanation, he was dead wrong (no pun intended). "Uh, yeah. I got that. Would you care to tell me a bit more?"

He sighed. "Martin is a tiger."

Oh, hell.

"Is he related to Quinn?"

"I believe he is Quinn's cousin. He's a rare black tiger; they call them melanistic – mostly black with orange stripes. If Quinn's reputation for being a pit fighter is feared, well, I think Martin could take Quinn down without a problem. I have heard nothing of him in a decade, and now we find out that he knows your shifter boss…Perhaps Sam is more valuable than I initially thought…Come Sookie, we must go. We will make phone calls from the car." He strode over to the door that led to the garage and unlocked the doors to the SUV that was beside his Corvette.

We were on the road and heading to pick up Pam in no time at all. I still didn't know anything about Jack Martin, and all the mysteriousness was starting to bug me.

"Can we please talk about Jack Martin some more? I still don't know why y'all are so freaked out about him," I said looking over at him.

"Martin was always a loner, and his services could always be purchased for a price. He's been hired by vampires, humans and Weres alike as an assassin…"

"A tiger assassin? Isn't that a bit much? I mean, tigers aren't exactly going to go unnoticed. And can't vamps take care of their own killing? And Weres for that matter?" I interrupted.

Eric chuckled and shook his head. "No, Sookie, he wasn't necessarily in his tiger form when he was working. And sometimes, even the most powerful vampires want to distance themselves from a kill – or have it done during the day. So, Jack Martin was who you would call. He was absolutely lethal; nothing could ever be traced back to him or to whoever hired him. But nothing has been heard about him for quite some time…this is why we thought he was dead. It is an interesting turn of events to find out that he is still alive – and living so close to us."

Yeah, real interesting. And just my luck, he's Quinn's cousin...how does Sam know him? I thought to myself.

"I still can't figure out how Sam is involved in all of this – I mean, you've met Sam – he's so gentle, he would never hurt anyone without provocation. What could he possibly have in common with an assassin? This is all so confusing, Eric. The sooner we find him the better," I trailed off when I noticed that we were coming to a stop in front of a large split-level house in a gated community.

Pam sauntered out of the house in a pair of cammo pants (I was surprised they weren't pink) and a tight black t-shirt. She had traded her customary penny loafers for a pair of scary looking combat boots. As she got closer she flashed me some fang and her eyes glittered with mischief.

"Sookie, are you going to get yourself killed this time? You're a bit like a cat aren't you – nine lives and all…surely you must be nearing number nine…Master," Pam was leaning between the seats looking back and forth between us. "This should be entertaining – another rescue, a potential fight and a meeting with Jack Martin. And to think all I had planned for tonight was enthralling the vermin. Sookie, you do bring joy to our lives," she said while giving me fang for a second time.

"Pam, this is not fun. This is serious – my friend is missing and he's hurt and I don't know who's got him or why. You may not think much of Sam or humans, but I do and if you're not going to be productive, then why don't you just stay here?" I spat at her.

I saw Eric's eyebrow raise a little and a shadow of a smile play across his lips. "Yes, Pam, if you aren't going to take the situation seriously, perhaps it is wise for you to stay back and ensure that Fangtasia's inventory is completed."

Pam's eyes were boring a hole in my back and I heard her mutter "spoilsports" before leaning back in her seat.

Eric navigated the streets until we were on the interstate and on our way to Valley Park. I didn't want Pam to be mad at me and I really wanted to know what inspired her choice of clothing that evening. I had never seen her dressed in anything but Fangtasia vampwear or suburban mom sweater sets. She looked like she was going to basic training.

"So, Pam, that's an..uh..interesting…choice of outfit. But, as always, you look fabulous. Where did you get it?" I asked. Eric's glanced over at me and the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile.

"Well, I was watching G.I. Jane and thought that it would be an appropriate choice if we were going to be doing anything in the forest. I picked it up from an authentic army surplus store," she said proudly.

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle. "Well, I'm sure they'll never see you coming, Pam."

"Well, I am vampire – they most likely would not see me coming even if I wasn't dressed like this."

Before I could say anything else, Pam was on her phone making calls and I turned my face to the window watching the scenery fly by. I felt Eric's hand on my leg and a little rush of calm swept over me. I knew that he was driving like a maniac, but for whatever reason I didn't seem to mind. Partly because the sooner we found Sam the better, partly because the SUV seemed indestructible, partly because Eric's hand was on my thigh. Eric stroked my hair and I turned to look at him, offering him a small smile and pushing my gratitude for all that he was doing for me (again) through the bond. He cupped my face, looking down at me with warmth in his eyes and smiled back at me. I motioned for him to keep his eyes on the road and he smirked at me. Eric Northman would move mountains for me, and if he couldn't move them at first, then he would keep at it until they followed his orders. It was hard to reconcile the Area 5 bad-ass Sheriff with the amnesiac vamp whom I fell in love with for a time, but I was starting to see glimpses of my Eric. Maybe all I needed to do was look a little harder...

"The Weres have a location for Martin. They're staking out his place. Eric what's our ETA?" Pam's voice cut through my thoughts and I turned to look at her.

"15 minutes. Any word on Sam's whereabouts?" Eric asked.

"They've narrowed down the area, but it might be a good idea to find out exactly what the shifter's gotten himself into before we mount an extraction. We may not be able to do anything if it's a blood debt. The Were says that Martin is in his home and they're keeping their distance so as not to alert him."

"I agree, Pam. We will talk to Martin before going after Sam. We will have a better idea of what we're up against – and if need be, we can offer Martin for exchange. Sookie, I can sense that you are going to say something. You asked for my help, and I am giving it to you – do not question my methods. Your safety and the safety of my people come before your boss, no matter how good a friend he is to you. If you are not amenable to our plan, let me know and I will drop you off a hotel in town and continue on without you." I glared at him and opened my mouth to protest. "I will do it, Sookie. It is for your own good. Pam was right – one of these days you are going to get yourself killed because you are too impatient to do things properly."

I closed my mouth and glared at him some more, before turning back to the window. I heard Pam snicker in the back.

"Don't you dare laugh, Pam. I would hate for something to happen to your precious lawn and perfect flower gardens while you slept during the day…and if you keep it up, that's exactly what will happen," I turned around and hissed at her.

That might be the only time that I've ever seen Pam looked absolutely shocked – her mouth hung open for a millisecond before it closed. She narrowed her eyes at me and for the third time that night showed me fang – angry fang.

"Ladies, that's enough," Eric chastised us, although I could hear the mirth in his voice. "We're here. Behave yourselves." He smirked at me before opening the door of the SUV and stepping out into the deepening night.


	12. Chapter 12

I followed Eric and Pam over to where Alcide was standing and gave him a small smile. Alcide nodded at me before turning to Eric.

"Martin's still in there, and we've almost got Sam's location pinned down. Did you find anything out about why someone would want to take him? I mean, he's not exactly involved in the Supe world – he stays out of most things, unless it's to protect Sookie," Alcide said to Eric.

I shot a look at the pair of them, but remained silent. I didn't always need to be rescued, and if I did get into trouble it was usually a consequence to being involved – voluntarily or not, in either Were or vamp affairs. I hardly went out looking for trouble.

"What are we waiting for? Sam left instructions for me to talk to this guy if something happened to him. And the longer we wait out here, the longer Sam is with whoever took him. Can we please get on with it?" I asked them, becoming more exasperated with waiting by the minute.

Eric looked over to me and nodded his head before leading the way down the winding path to Jack Martin's house. As we approached and the little bungalow came into view, it didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. I'm not sure what I was expecting – maybe a big sign out front that said "Assassin for Hire", or a few heads on pikes, maybe a "Beware of the Tiger" sign…not a house that could be inhabited by just about anyone. I suppose if you're in the assassination racket you don't tend to advertise though.

I strode ahead of Eric and Pam, and they let me (goodness knows if they wanted to beat me to the door they could) and paused for a second at the door. I quickly scanned the house and found only one brain, that of a were, inside. I rapped the door with purpose and then realized that my vampire escorts were hanging back a few feet. So much for protection.

It was a few moments before the door was opened and I found myself face to face with the man everyone seemed to hold in such esteem – or was it fear? He didn't look too scary to me though, and I held out my hand and in a firm voice said, "Jack Martin? I'm Sookie Stackhouse, I'm here because Sam Merlotte sent me and he's in trouble. Can I come in?"

Jack Martin, all 6'3" of him, looked down at me somewhat skeptically with his grey eyes. He smoothed his large hand over his thick graying hair while he took in my two vampire companions and looked down at me again. I noticed a scar that curved around his left eye and one the peeked out of his shirt at the base of his neck. He didn't look hard or mean though – he had a kind look to him; maybe that was how he got people to trust him. He looked down at me again and shook my still proffered hand.

In a deep, gravelly voice he responded, "Well, Miss Stackhouse, I reckon you probably should. You can tell your two body guards that they're welcome to come in as well, as long as they behave themselves. Tell the other Weres out there that they can go have a beer and grab a burger at one of the bars back in town – they've done their bit and they've been waiting out there for hours. I guess they were waiting for you three to arrive."

He stepped aside and I entered the house with Pam and Eric hot on my heels. I followed Jack Martin into the comfortable living room and sat on the couch across from the La-Z-Boy recliner, with a vampire on either side of me. The weretiger stood in the doorway and asked if we'd like anything to drink. When he offered True Blood to Pam and Eric, I wondered how long he had known that he would be having vampire visitors. I took him up on his offer of sweet iced tea and Jack brought a cold glass back along with a couple of bottles of blood.

The weretiger settled into the recliner across from us and looked at me thoughtfully. It was so difficult to picture this seemingly gentle giant as a ruthless assassin. I didn't really have time to ask his life story right now though – I was here for Sam, and I needed to find him as soon as possible.

I took a sip of my drink and placed it on the coffee table before addressing the infamous Jack Martin.

"Sam's been taken, Mr. Martin. He was run off the road last night as I was talking to him on the phone. My friends found the scent of two unfamiliar vampires and a Were around his trailer. Today I found a letter instructing me to come to you if anything out of the ordinary were to happen to him. I'd say this is out of the ordinary. I need to find him, Sam is a close friend and I have no idea who would have taken him or why. You seem to be the only one with answers, Mr. Martin," I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

"Please call me Jack, Miss Stackhouse. I guess it was inevitable that they'd catch up with us one day…"

"I'm sorry, Jack, but inevitable that who would catch up with you? Honestly, why is it so hard to get a straight answer with you Supes?" I was getting real tired of all the double talk and mystery.

Surprisingly, Jack chuckled and smiled at me. "Well, Miss Stackhouse…"

"Please, call me Sookie," I interrupted.

"Sookie… Well, I reckon that we're all so used to having to talk in code because we've been hiding our true identities for millenniums. I guess it's just hard to break the habit. As for who's after Sam, and I suppose they'll find me soon, well, I've got a couple of ideas. If I had to hazard a guess, well, I'd say it's probably Avery Michaels," he said.

Pam and Eric, who had been silent until this point, both hissed. Well, that's never a good thing.

"Who's Avery Michaels?" I asked.

Jack gave me a small smile. "Perhaps your Viking companion or his child would like to answer that."

Apparently, Jack knew Eric – why wasn't I surprised? I turned to Eric whose face remained still and closed off to me.

Jack surveyed Eric for a moment and then continued. "I guess Mr. Northman would rather me tell the story. Well, Avery Michaels is a ruthless sonofabitch, pardon my french, Sookie. He's almost as old as your friend here – maybe about 8 or 900 years old. He likes the old ways – I don't think he was too keen on the vamps' announcement. He lurks in the shadows and would rather drain his prey than just take enough to sustain himself. He had a nestmate who was just as bad, if not worse than him by the name of Ernest Bailey. While Michaels stayed out of the politics, Bailey didn't and he started making problems when all the talk about the vamps showing themselves to the world started. He was making enough of a nuisance of himself that my services were contracted.

I had met Sam when he was discharged from the army and when I discovered his unique talent; I asked him if he would like to work with me on the contract. He was desperate for money – he wanted to buy some bar, and this was a quick fix. It wasn't easy, but we were able to send Bailey to his final death. I retired and Sam went his own way. It's been seven, eight years since that job…I'm surprised it took Michaels so long to find one of us. I wouldn't hold out for Sam still being alive though, Sookie, and I'm sorry for that. Sam was a stand-up guy, and he doesn't deserve to die at the hands of that sick, sadistic bloodsucker," Jack concluded, looking at me apologetically.

I let the information wash over me and Eric gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I closed my eyes and forced myself to pull it together. There was still a chance that Sam was alive, and I was bound and determined that I was going to find him. Eric was sending calm and reassurance through the bond and I pushed it back. I needed to harness the anger that was building inside of me and use it to find Sam. Even though it was difficult to imagine Sam as an assassin's sidekick, it wasn't my place to judge him. Heck, I'd ensured the deaths of more than a couple of people, granted that was because my life was threatened, but I didn't know all of Sam's circumstances.

I opened my eyes and looked Jack Martin, weretiger assassin, in the eyes. "Well, Jack, I guess you've got two choices. Either you come with us and help us to find and kill the bastards, or wait here for them to come and find you – because if we found you, they'll be here soon enough. But you better make up your mind in a hurry, because I'm not sending you an engraved invitation to the party," I said as I stood up.

Eric and Pam had been strangely quiet the whole time, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. As I made my way to the door, the two vampires flanking me, Jack called out, "Well, I reckon I might as well come along. Just let me grab a couple of things."

And with that our little trio had become a foursome. We headed out into the night, and even though we knew more than when we'd started, Sam's whereabouts was still a mystery. While Eric was speeding back into town with Alcide and his Weres following behind us, the silence of the car was broken by the ringing of Eric's phone. He answered it brusquely and I couldn't make out the content of the conversation from Eric's one-word answers, but I did figure out that it was Bill on the other end.

"That was Compton. He and the Weres have pin-pointed the shifter's location and are waiting a few miles out for us. We should be there in an hour," Eric said somewhat coldly, but he pushed a flow of warmth through the bond to me, and this time I returned it.

Just hold on Sam. We'll be there soon. Please, God, let him be okay. I reached over and squeezed Eric's hand while the darkened scenery whizzed by us.


	13. Chapter 13

Forty five minutes later we were standing with Bill and Alcide's trackers. They gave us an update and I mentally reached out to see if I could feel Sam. I'd never tried to reach someone from such a distance, and I half expected it not to work, but for whatever reason – desperation, fluke or a surge of magical power from being around so many Supes, I was able to detect Sam. He was faint and I could tell he was in pain, but he was alive.

Our little army was talking tactics when I interrupted, "He's still alive. He's in pain, but he's still alive."

Eric turned and looked at me quizzically. I knew he was surprised that I'd been able to reach that far – so was I. He took my hand and led me away from the group and looked down at me, his blue eyes piercing my own.

"You heard the shifter from here? You've never been able to use your ability from this distance. How long have you been able to do this?" he asked me.

"This is the first time – I didn't even think I'd be able to do it, I'm as surprised as you are. But I definitely felt him, and there are five vamps and two Weres in there and another six Weres and two vamps around the perimeter," I told him. "How come you and Pam didn't say anything when we were at Jack's?"

"You seemed to be doing quite well on your own, and I think he would have been less inclined to share if it was me asking the questions. You have the ability to gain the trust of just about everyone you meet. However, I will be leading this attack, and you, Lover, will be staying behind. I will not let you put yourself in harm's way. Martin indicated to you that Michaels was dangerous, but you have no idea just how brutal he can be. If there are four other vampires with him, they will be of his mindset and will drain you at the first chance they get. Please, stay out here – I cannot concentrate on getting your boss back if I am worrying where you are. You will put us all in danger. Promise me that you will stay in the car," he asked, pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear.

I sighed and returned his gaze. "I promise. But you have to promise that everyone on our side will come back alive. And, you have to promise me that we can have at least a month without fights, abductions or takeovers," I said smiling at him.

"I promise, Lover. You needn't worry about any of us, especially me. We should go back though. The sooner we get in there the better. It will be a pleasure to take out Michaels – he threatens our existence, and I refuse to go back into the shadows…not after I've tasted the sunshine on your skin."

Eric kissed me with such passion that I felt me knees go weak and when he broke away from me there was a broad grin on his face. I had the urge to fan myself from the heat he had caused to well up in my body. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "That is but a taste of what you will receive later, Lover." I blushed and he chuckled, leading me back to our little group.

Pam gave Eric the detail in what I assume was Swedish, probably to keep me from knowing exactly what they were going to do. I glared at her and she winked back, but did not switch to English for me. One of these days, I really was going to have to learn another language – although, Pam and Eric probably knew 20, so it wouldn't help much.

The Weres started fanning out in different directions and Bill stood by Jack, Pam and Eric waiting for instructions. He had only nodded his head at me in acknowledgement when we first arrived, and I could only surmise that it was because he had his panties in a twist from Eric's public display of affection for me the night before. I just couldn't deal with his moodiness at the moment, and if he wanted to play the martyr yet again, well, he could have at it.

Eric turned to me and kissed me on the forehead before leading me back over to the SUV.

"Now, Sookie, you promised that you would stay in this vehicle until we returned. I do not want you coming into that house. I don't know in what kind of state we will find Sam, and I can't take care of you and fight Michaels and the others. Please, stay here," he said to me as he got out a few swords from the back of the truck. It never ceased to surprise me that vampires drove around with swords in their vehicles, for "just in case" purposes.

"I already promised that I would. I don't particularly want to end up in the hospital again either, you know. I don't have some sort of weird fetish where I like to get beaten up. I'll stay here. I promise."

Eric seemed satisfied with my declaration and made his way back to Jack, Pam and Bill. I sat in the front and turned on the radio, watching as Jack took his clothes off (apparently the apple didn't fall too far from the Quinn tree) and changed into his tiger form. He was beautiful. He had a mostly black coat with orange stripes, and he seemed to be bigger than Quinn was. The trio of vampires and the tiger stealthily made their way into the darkness and it wasn't long until I could no longer see them.

I sat with my feet up on the dashboard singing along with the radio, trying to keep my mind off of what was going on in the house. It helped for all of five minutes before I turned off the radio. I opened the glove compartment and found a couple of stakes and a book in Italian. I took the stakes out and restlessly drummed them against the dash, counting off the seconds. It was agonizing sitting there and not knowing what was going on, but I had promised Eric that I would stay out of harm's way, and I was determined to do so, not only for him, but for the sake of my own health. Maybe I could reach out to Sam again. I cast my mind out, and caught a glimmer of his pain. If the reason that I could now detect minds at such a distance wasn't because of being surrounded by all that magic, and it didn't seem to be a fluke, then maybe it was due to the vampire blood I'd had, and the practice I'd gotten using my ability while employed by the vamps.

I didn't have any more time to think about it though, because suddenly there was an arm around my chest and I was being dragged out of the SUV. Maybe I should have paid attention to my surroundings and who was in it. I struggled against my attacker, but I had known as soon as the vice-like grip had encircled me that I had no chance against the vampire. Before I could scream, a cloth was shoved into my mouth and a bandana was wrapped around my head to keep it in place. I tried to reach out to Eric through the bond, but in an instant I knew that it would make no difference, because I was being carried in the direction that my friends had just gone and I would see him soon enough. Eric was going to be so mad.

We were about twenty feet away from the house when I got a sharp feeling of anger through the bond, which I knew was directed at me for being in such close proximity to the spot I wasn't supposed to be at. I tried to send him mental images of my capture and my anxiety back to him. I wasn't sure how much he had dampened the bond, or if he was so overcome with fighting that he could separate my feelings from the heightened ones of the battle. Eric sent reassurance back to me just as my assailant was kicking in the front door. My vampire captor dumped me on the floor unceremoniously as all eyes turned to me as I struggled to undo the knot of the bandana and spit the gag out of my mouth.

"It seems they left one behind. She's pretty, don't you think, Avery? She smells delicious, I wonder how she tastes," the vampire behind me said and he had me back in his vice-like grip before anyone on my team could move towards me.

I surveyed the room around me and saw scattered body parts and piles of ash on the floor. Blood soaked the hardwood and splattered the walls and my friends and foes both had their fangs down and bloodlust in their eyes. This was definitely not the best place for me to be right now. I could still hear the growls and fighting raging on outside, but inside, in this room, everything was still, all eyes were on me and the bastard who was holding me. Only Pam, Bill, Eric and two other vamps (not including the one who was holding me) remained in the house. I did a quick sweep to see if I could still feel Sam, and he was holding on, but barely.

One of the vamps I didn't know began to move towards me and Eric stepped in front of him. "You're not going over there, Avery. And Louis is going to put Sookie down or I will tear him limb from limb – and I will do it slowly," he hissed.

Avery laughed and pushed Eric aside and I could hear Eric's low growl as Avery approached me. He wasn't a very tall man, maybe 5'10", and he had a mop of longish, curly brown hair that framed his young looking face. I guessed that he was probably turned when he was 19 or 20, but his eyes betrayed the length of his existence. He licked his fangs as he got closer to me, and the hold of the other vamp tightened around me as Eric moved forward. I let out a gasp of pain and Avery chuckled again. I really didn't like him.

When Avery was standing just a few inches away from me, he leaned over and inhaled my scent. "You do smell delicious, Sookie. Not only do we a little treat to dine on, but it is none other than the Viking's human bonded. I hear you are part-fae, it has been awhile since I've had the pleasure of their intoxicating blood." With that he reached in and licked my neck.

I could feel my anger boiling up to the surface mingled with the anger that I could feel coming from Eric. I had had enough of being used as a pawn, the spoils of war, of anything other than a person. I could feel my loathing for the vampire filling my mind and as Avery caught my gaze I stared back at him, my disgust apparent, my fury and hatred channeling through my eyes.

And then the weirdest thing happened.

Avery was pinned against the far wall, yet no one was holding him there and his feet were dangling a few feet off the ground. The vampire holding me dropped me in surprise, and that was all Bill, Pam and Eric needed to gain the upper hand once again. Pam was beside me in a flash, her sword striking true and detaching my captor's head from his body. He began to flake almost immediately. Bill had a little more trouble with the other vampire, and the clink of swords filled the room until the defeated vamp's head landed a few feet away from me.

Things had moved so quickly that I hadn't noticed that Avery had his feet back on the floor and was facing off against Eric. I let out an audible gasp as Avery caught Eric's shoulder with his blade and drew blood. Pam pulled me up by my hand and led me out of the room and stopped by a set of cellar stairs. She grabbed me by the shoulders and gently shook me to my senses.

"We don't have time to get into what you just did in there, but I can assure you that Eric will want to know about it when we are back in Shreveport. He'll also want to know why you left the vehicle after he gave you implicit instructions to stay put. Right now, I need you to listen and tell me where that shifter boss of yours is. It would be a shame for him to die, after we came all this way to save him," she smirked at me, her fangs still down.

I glared at her, and reached out to find where Sam was being kept. I could feel him faintly, we didn't have much time. I pointed to the stairs and Pam threw me over her shoulder and headed down.

"Is this necessary, Pam? I am more than capable of walking, you know," I complained.

"It is much faster if I carry you, and I am able to see in the dark, and you are not. Really, I would have thought that you would be used to being carried by now – you seem to enjoy it enough when my Master does it." I huffed out a breath, and I could tell that she was pleased with herself. Her gardens might just suffer some misfortune after all.

"We're coming to the bottom of the stairs," she whispered in my ear. "There are two directions we can go – can you feel the shifter?"

I concentrated on Sam. He was getting weaker, and it was difficult to pinpoint which way we should go. I focused all my energy on Sam. "To the right," I said. "Is there any possibility that you could put me down?"

"None, my little telepathic friend. Just enjoy the ride."

Pam was enjoying this far more than she had any right to. Before I could say anything else, she was running through the dark tunnel, her grip around me tight to keep me from moving. I kept my eyes shut and concentrated on Sam. I knew that there wasn't much time left, and I said a silent prayer that we could get to him in time.

It wasn't long before Pam started to slow down and I guessed that we must be nearing the end of the tunnel. She put me down on the floor in front of the door and just stood there. I was going to say something, when I felt Eric getting closer. Great. I didn't really think that I needed Eric's help, and I was hoping that he wasn't going to start questioning me about what happened with Avery, because I didn't have any answers for him. And most of all, we were wasting time. Just when I was going to open the door, I felt a familiar hand on my back which travelled down to cop a feel of my ass.

"Lover," he breathed into my ear. "Where are you going?"

I turned around to face him, intending to give him a piece of my mind, but the Viking, as usual, took my action to mean something else. He pulled me in closer and laid what would have been an explosive kiss on me, had I not been so infuriated. I stomped on his foot and pulled away, which was only possible because the foot stomping had taken him by surprise.

"What the hell are you doing?! Sam is on the other side of that door, and he's running out of time, and the only thing you can think about is your out-of-control libido. I'm sorry, but not all of us get off on fighting. Keep your hands to yourself and help me save Sam – because if he dies due to you thinking with the wrong head, you will never see me naked again," I hissed at him.

I could tell that Pam was exercising that famous vamp self-control and storing my little outburst for a future teasing of Eric. Eric on the other hand looked rather nonchalant about my whole outburst.

"I accept your apology, Lover. Now, did you want to save the shifter, or did you have something else to say to me?" he asked, a look of innocence on his face.

I could feel my fingernails digging into the palms of my hands, and I tried to squelch my anger. "Argh! Let's just save Sam," I said, shooting Pam a dirty look for smirking at me.

Eric gave me a fangy smile and kicked down the door.


	14. Chapter 14

My eyes had adjusted to the darkness a little, but it was still difficult to see. I wished that I had a flashlight or a candle to help chase away the shadows, but I didn't, and I had to walk with my hands out in front of me like a blind person. I could see how it was easier for Pam to just carry me, rather than trying to lead me through the dark. Not that I would let her know that. I walked into something and stubbed my toe.

"Shit!" I swore loudly.

"Something wrong, Lover?" Eric's smooth voice reached out to me and made me angrier.

"I can't see a bloody thing in here! Not all of us have vamp vision, you know," I hissed at him.

"Why didn't you just ask if I would carry you? Really, Lover, there's no need to injure yourself," he said as he swung me onto his back. At least this time I could see where I was going.

Where was Sam? I was sure that he was in the room, but I could no longer feel him. My breath caught in my throat as my mind struggled to comprehend that fact. We were too late. We were too late. A sob escaped, and I felt hot tears sting my eyes and I buried my face into Eric's neck. I felt a flood of calm come through the bond and I pushed it back. It was Eric's fault that Sam was dead. If we had just gone in instead of waiting we could have saved him. I struggled against the Viking but he held me firm.

"Let me go! Put me down this instant, Eric! Let me go!" I yelled at him, as he maneuvered me from his back and held me against his chest.

"Stop, Sookie. You need to listen…"

I continued my struggle to get away from him, futile as it was. "Let me go! I don't want to listen. He could have been alive… I could have saved him…" I felt the fight go out of me and he cradled me to him. I buried my face in his chest and the tears flowed down my cheeks, soaking his shirt.

"Ssh, Sookie…You need to listen…Open your mind – do you hear anything? Concentrate," he whispered into my ear.

"He's dead – I don't hear the dead," I mumbled.

"Dammit Sookie, stop being so stubborn. Try and reach out to him," his voice had lost some of the softness to it.

I pulled my face away from his chest and lifted my head. I could feel his eyes piercing my own, even though he was still cloaked in shadows. I closed my eyes and reached out to feel Sam. And it was there. A faint glimmer of thought. But it was getting stronger, not weaker. I raised my face to Eric and he brushed my tears away with the softest of touches.

"How?" I whispered.

He kissed my forehead and answered, "Pam reached him in time and she has given him some of her blood. Not much, but enough to hold him until Dr. Ludwig can get here. She should be here soon."

Relief flooded through me. "Who should be here soon? Dr. Ludwig or Pam?"

"Well, I'm here, and covered in the shifter's blood, so I would assume he means Dr. Ludwig," Pam said from behind me.

I struggled out of Eric's grasp and ran over to Pam and hugged her, squishing Sam in the process and eliciting a pained moan from him.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Sam!" I squeaked out and released them both. "Thank you, Pam! Thank you so much."

"Eric, she's leaking again. Is it not enough that I gave the shifter my blood and ruined a perfectly good outfit without her leaking all over the place?" Pam asked exasperatedly.

"Come, the shifter needs medical attention. Sookie, it would be quicker if I carried you – unless you would prefer that we go ahead and you can find your own way back?"

Even without the light to illuminate his features, I knew without a doubt that Eric was grinning. There wasn't time for arguing, so I went to him and he swung me onto his back. We were on the lawn outside the house in a matter of seconds, and though I was loath to admit it, I was happy that Eric carried me and I didn't get a chance to look at the remnants of the battle in the house.

Bill, Jack, Alcide and his Weres joined us and even though they had blood on them, they didn't look any worse for wear. And thankfully, the Weres and Jack were all fully clothed. I kept my eyes on Sam. His breathing was laboured, but at least he was still breathing. Eric swung me around and lowered me to the ground before going over to speak with the other men.

I wasn't interested in hearing them re-live the battles that had just taken place so I went over to stand with Pam and Sam while we waited for Dr. Ludwig to appear. I could tell that Pam was listening to the debriefing and I knew that she would rather have been a part of it than holding Sam's battered body.

"Thank you, Pam. Thank you for everything," I said earnestly.

She shifted her focus to me and I caught a soft expression grace her face before being replaced by her typical cold expression.

"You have saved my Master more than once– consider this a showing of my gratitude. I know the shifter means a great deal to you…but I believe the feelings that you hold for Eric are infinitely greater. You would do well to…"

Pam didn't get to finish her last sentence because Dr. Ludwig had appeared beside us. The small doctor started fussing and clucking her tongue as she pulled tiny vials from her bag and tended to Sam. I know I should have been paying more attention, but I was still thinking of what Pam had just said. Eric did mean a lot to me. How many times had he saved me…how many times was I in danger because of him…but my mind rolled the events of the past couple of years around and I started to pull out tiny moments that I had previously overlooked.

"Sookie? Sookie?"

I looked around to see who was calling me, until I realized that Sam was thinking at me. I took his hand and smiled softly at him, my other hand brushing away a matted lock of hair from his face.

"I'm right here, Sam. You're going to be okay. Dr. Ludwig is going to take real good care of you, and you'll be as good as new in no time," I reassured him. Even as I did so, I could feel hot tears prickling at my eyes and threatening to overflow. He looked so awful, I really wasn't sure if he would make it or not.

"Thank you, Sookie. Thank you for finding me and not listening to me. I love you, Chere."

Those tears that I was trying to hold back spilled over and streaked my face, and fell onto Sam. I leaned over and kissed his forehead. I heard him sigh and he looked at me once more before closing his eyes.

"I love you too, Sam," I whispered in his ear.

Dr. Ludwig's voice cut through my consciousness, "I'm taking the shifter to the clinic now. Step back please, little girl."

Tears were still making their way down my cheeks as I turned to the doctor and asked, "Is he really going to be okay? You'll be able to fix him, right?"

"He's in a bad state. I will do my best for him, but I think the vampire's blood is what will save him. He's lucky you got here when you did. I'm not very fond of vampires, but, that one of yours isn't all bad – better than most. He seems to take care of what's his. I have to get the shifter back to the clinic now," she said brusquely and with a *pop* she and Sam were gone.

I looked around and discovered that Pam had already joined the group of men that were standing a distance away from me. I sunk to the ground and closed my eyes, wiping the tears from my face. The images of Sam's broken body filled my mind and I said a prayer for him.

My emotions were raw and all over the place, it was hard to focus on any one thing. I lied down and curled up into the fetal position. I just needed to process what had transpired (Word of the Day)…not just Sam getting hurt, not just telling Eric that I loved him, not the blood bath that I just witnessed, but all of it and then some. What had happened in that house? I had pushed Avery away from me using just my desire. A vampire as strong as Eric. What the hell was that? My brain was exhausted. My body was exhausted. I squeezed my eyes shut and wished I could just click my heels and be back in Bon Temps.

Strong hands reached under me and lifted me from the ground. Even though my eyes were still closed I knew it was Eric. A wave of peace and comfort flooded over me as I curled into his chest. His cool lips pressed against my forehead before a rush of cold air swirled around us. I cracked my eye open just a little to see the stars and the moon lighting the way home.

Eric whispered into my ear, "We're nearly home, Lover…we're nearly home."

*******************************

My eyes were still closed and I let the comfort of the bed envelop me. I felt like I had been asleep for days and minutes at the same time. I knew I should get up and go to work, but the bed was so warm. I wriggled a little further under the blankets and gathered them around me. Maybe I was still tired, because I didn't remember my bed ever being that comfortable. I let out a happy sigh and curled up tighter, not wanting to let the outside world in just yet.

"Lover, I know you are awake. I would appreciate it if you would relinquish your hold on some of the blankets. You have always been a cover hog, you know," Eric's voice filtered into my brain, a mixture of amusement and warmth.

I smiled and snuggled further into the blankets. I must still be dreaming. Why would Eric be in my bed? I felt a gentle tug of the blankets. Huh. That felt pretty real.

My eyes snapped open. I was not in my bedroom in Bon Temps. I was not in my bed in Bon Temps. And there was definitely a Viking beside me. No wonder the bed felt so comfortable. I rolled over and glared at the vampire who was sitting beside me reading a book, his mouth twitching into a smile.

"I'm glad that you think this is so entertaining, but I can assure you that I am not amused," I spat at him.

He roared with laughter. Great. Fantastic. He thinks this is a game. I yanked the covers off him and rolled myself up in them. At least he had the decency to be clothed – in flannel pajama pants no less…no shirt however – not that I was looking. Mercifully, I was dressed in a nightshirt. I did not want to think how I got into said nightshirt, as either option of Eric or Pam helping me into it was more than I could deal with at the moment.

"I'm glad to see that the events of last night have not lessened your feistiness. I was concerned when I found you lying on the ground that there was something terribly wrong with you," he said, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth.

The memories of the last few days played in my head. I jumped out of the bed and started looking for my clothes. How long had I been asleep? Where was Sam? Was he okay? Who was looking after the bar? Was Amelia worried about me? God, how could I be so irresponsible? I frantically looked under the bed for my shoes. Where the hell were my clothes?

Strong, cold arms wrapped themselves around me, and I sank into them, the fight leaving my body. He picked me up and cradled me to him, kissing my forehead, and whispering Norse into my ear. Eric stood with me in his arms for what could have been five minutes or five hours. My perception of the world was topsy-turvy and I needed to get a grip on what was going on.

The Viking lowered me gently onto the bed and retrieved a tray with food that I hadn't seen in my panic. He brought it over to me and placed it on my lap. There was a bowl of strawberries and blueberries next to a plate with a whole wheat carrot muffin along with a large glass of orange juice and a glass of iced coffee. I raised my eyes to him, at a loss of what to say, what to do. I felt detached from reality. Taking the tray from my lap, I set it on the bed in front of me. I needed some answers.

"How long was I asleep, Eric?" I asked him.

He picked up an elastic band from the bedside table, tied his hair back and sat down cross-legged on the bed. He studied my face for a minute, and I knew that he was trying to decide how best to answer what I thought was a very simple question. He reached out and gently stroked my face.

"You were asleep for 39 hours, Sookie."

My mouth gaped open. How was that even possible?

"After the first day had passed and you had not stirred, I called for Dr. Ludwig. She was concerned that you had slept for so long seemingly without a reason. I did not see fit to divulge about the emergence of your new powers without first consulting your grandfather, so I dismissed her. I then called Niall, who did not seem surprised. Apparently, he knew that fae powers might manifest themselves in you, and said that you would sleep for quite some time while your energy was restored. You are only a little bit fae and mostly human and your body can not handle the powers very well yet. I think we got off so lightly because of how much of my blood you have had…"

"I'm sorry, 'Got off lightly'?! I was asleep for 39 hours! I would say that's a pretty steep price to pay for something I didn't even know I was doing. What did Niall say exactly? Did he say why he didn't tell me about this before?" the words fell over themselves as they left my mouth, my voice rising as I cut him off in my anger.

"If you would let me finish, I will tell you everything," he replied in an infuriatingly calm manner.

I glared at him and motioned for him to continue.

"As I was saying… You are only a little bit fae, but Niall told me that when you first met him he saw a spark in you that indicated that there was a possibility of powers manifesting in you. He was not sure when they would reveal themselves or what they might be. He was…intrigued… that it was a form of telekinesis. Really, it makes sense – you are telepathic, your mind is already enhanced. You seemed to only need the right circumstances to bring forth this other power…"

I couldn't help myself. "Right circumstances? Because that's the first time I've ever been about to be hurt, right? I mean, it wouldn't have been helpful when Rene was trying to kill me, or when Bill was in the trunk of that car with me, or when Mickey was going to kill me, or the Rhodes bombing… I mean, there haven't been a dozen other times when it could have come in useful!" I shouted at him.

Eric sighed and closed his eyes. He was doing a very good job of keeping his true feelings from seeping into the bond, because all I could feel were gentle waves of comfort lapping at my soul. I fought against them. I didn't want to be comforted. I wanted to be angry. I was confused by what happened. I was hurt and upset that my great-grandfather had once again kept a piece of vital information from me. While somewhere in the back of my head I knew I shouldn't shoot the messenger, I couldn't help being angry with Eric. Calm, pragmatic Eric.

He opened his eyes slowly and took a deliberate breath. He reached out to stroke my face and I moved away from his touch. He tilted his head slightly as though he was studying me, never breaking eye contact with me.

"Sookie, what is it that you would like me to do?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to say something and snapped it shut. Again I started to say something but said nothing.

"What do you mean?" I said answering his question with another one at last.

"I mean exactly what I asked. What would you like me to do? I was as much in the dark about the emergence of your new powers as you were. Niall did not divulge anything to me and I have done all that I could with what little information was available to me. Yet it appears that you are under the erroneous impression that I could have done something to prepare you; that perhaps I had kept something from you...but this is not the case. I was truly worried when you did not wake up. I had no idea why you would not wake. I did what I could – I called Dr. Ludwig and then I called Niall. I am attempting to give you all of the information that I possess, but you do not want to hear it. I am trying to provide you with some comfort because I can see that you are scared. I do not know what more I can do, and so I ask you, what would you like me to do?"

Well, that stopped me in my tracks. I was so used to Eric swooping in, having all of the answers and fixing everything that I just expected that he always would. I don't think that it had ever occurred to me that Eric was anything but infallible. I mean, I knew when it came to our relationship he made some mistakes, but it seemed like it was because he was putting the greater good before us – like ensuring the safety of his Area rather than calling me. And yet, he had done what he could. His speech successfully deflated my angry balloon and I humbly departed the sandbox of hate I was playing in.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be angry with you. You're right, you did everything that you could, and I appreciate it…even if I didn't act like it," I told him, my voice soft, and my eyes focusing on a particularly interesting spot on the bed.

Eric was silent. I could still sense the calming feelings through the bond…tinged with…no…

My eyes snapped up to his face. A mischievous grin and sparkling eyes full of mirth looked back at me. I pursed my lips and he crowed in delight.

"That's two apologies in two days! Why, Miss Stackhouse, I do believe that I should check the news…"

"Why?" I demanded.

"To see, of course, if the sky has recently fallen," he teased and began to laugh.

"Aaaah!" I screamed and threw a pillow at him.

After his laughter had subsided, he leaned over, kissed me on the forehead and smiled softly searching my eyes with an intensity that felt like he was searching my soul. When he leaned in again, he kissed me softly on the lips.

"Now," he said all business again. "What are we going to do about this new power? I have a few ideas…"


	15. Chapter 15

The first part of Eric's plan was simple. He summoned my great-grandfather to one of his other homes and we met him there. I gave Niall a piece of my mind – okay, a very large piece, because he had kept some very important information to himself. He apologized profusely for not informing me of the potential development of fae powers in me. They were only words though – he really didn't look all that remorseful. During the back and forth discussion Niall and I were having, Eric was unusually quiet. His eye followed us and occasionally a smirk would curl the edges of his lips, but he didn't say a word.

Niall left after about three hours, pressing a small, etched glass bottle into my hand before popping out. We had parted on good terms, but the rose-coloured glasses that I had previously viewed Niall through had been shattered. It was overwhelmingly apparent that no matter what affection he held for me, his own self-interest would always trump it.

I turned to Eric who was looking at me with concern.

"Are you alright, Sookie?" he asked.

"Yeah. I can't believe that I never realized how selfish he was before," I said, sitting down beside him.

He patted my hand. "You love him and he came into your life offering what you desired the most – family. You cannot blame yourself for not seeing what he did not wish you to see. Love can blind us."

I looked at him questioningly. "You knew though, didn't you? That's why you came with me the first time I met him. You've always known that he was just in this for himself. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?" he asked. "I have known Niall a very long time and the fae have never been known for their selfless natures."

"Except Claudine," I said. "But you're right – Claude is even more self-absorbed than Jason. I guess that's why Jason is the way he is – at least he comes by it honestly."

Eric smiled at me, "Yes, your brother has most certainly inherited the narcissistic traits of the fae. He possesses their charisma and ability to draw people to him – especially women. But now is not the time to concern yourself about your brother. We need to focus on you." He held his hand out to me. "Let me see the tincture."

I put the bottle in his hand and watched as he inspected it before removing the stopper. He smelled it and then wrinkled his nose in distaste. He replaced the stopper and handed it back to me. The liquid contained in the bottle was meant to help with the recovery time when I used my new powers. I was supposed to place one drop a day on my tongue which would increase my resilience to the after-effects of…of what? Pinning vamps to a wall? At least, that's what Niall claimed the outcome of ingesting the tincture would be. I had my doubts though.

I was reluctant to start taking it without knowing what exactly was in it and how exactly it would affect me. But where does one go to get something like that tested? It wasn't as though I could take it to a random lab – I mean, who knows what could be in there? And, I hardly needed to increase my profile in the Supe community by leaking fae secrets.

"So, Eric… What's part two of our plan?" I asked him.

"Funny you should ask – there's a plane waiting for us at a private landing strip about twenty minutes from here," he told me, rising to his feet and holding his hand out to me.

I took it and he pulled me to my feet gently. For a moment I had the overwhelming urge to kiss him – and from the way that he was staring at me, he did too. I turned away from him and went to put on my jacket and boots. There was still so much unresolved between us, but there was no time to try and untangle the knot of emotions that I had for Eric. I needed to get a grip on this new "ability"…Another curse, more like.

A thought occurred to me. "Hey, you never said where we're going or what the next part of the plan is. I'm not moving another inch until you tell me what we're doing," I said, crossing my arms for added effect.

He didn't answer me straight away, which was never a good sign. It meant he was weighing his options and deciding how he could do some damage control.

"Out with it," I said, tapping my foot on the floor.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "We are going to see an old acquaintance of mine. She will be able to tell us more about the tincture and help you to gain control of your powers…"

"She?" I interrupted. "Was this acquaintance ever more than an acquaintance? I mean, why would she agree to help me if she only knew you to say, 'Hi, how's it going?' I mean, Thalia is an acquaintance of mine, but I highly doubt she'd go out of her way to throw a bucket of water on me if I was on fire."

"Dear One, that is because Thalia despises humans. She barely tolerates most vampires. But to answer your question, yes, I did have a relationship of sorts with her. It was a very long time ago," he said opening the door for me.

I paused, surprised at the twinge of jealousy I felt. Deciding that I needed to get a better understanding of Eric's relationship with this woman before I agreed to spend an indeterminate length of time at her house, I went back to the couch and sat down.

"Before I agree to go anywhere, you need to tell me exactly what kind of situation I'm walking into. I mean it – I want the entire truth, buddy, not just what you think I should hear," I said, looking him in the eye and silently challenging him to lie to me.

"Why, Sookie Stackhouse, are you jealous?" he taunted me, smirking and raising his eyebrow.

"No, I am not. I just want to know what I'm walking into. I think you owe me that much," I replied evenly.

"My bullshit meter says different, but have it your way. You must learn to manipulate the bond if you want to deceive me," he said. "But I know that you will not leave until I tell you, and it will be quicker than trying to argue with you."

I glared at him. "Spill it," I said and motioned for him to hurry it up.

"I have known Tamaryn for about three hundred years. We had a brief affair – maybe 15 years or so, back around 1780. She is half fae – from a different line than Niall's. She has remained fairly secluded for the last hundred years in a cabin on an island off Norway. Tamaryn possesses the same powers as you, and more. She is extremely knowledgeable in the ways of the fae and I believe that she will be able to help you. Sookie, there is nothing but a deep friendship between us. You have nothing to be jealous about. Now, will that suffice? Or do you need me to through each meeting we've ever had…?"

I pursed my lips – he was mocking me again. I still wasn't sure if I loved Eric, but it was evident to both of us that I didn't want to share him.

"Fine," I said, standing up. "Let's go. But what about clothes? I didn't put my bag in the car before we came over here."

"Already take care of, Lover. Are you ready?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

I looked at him suspiciously before walking towards the car. "Am I ready for what?"

"For this," he said, grabbing me around the waist and taking to the sky quicker than I could blink.


	16. Chapter 16

Once I was settled in and the plane was in the air, Eric handed his Blackberry over to me. I gave him a grateful smile and was about to thank him, when he spoke first.

"There has been little time for phone calls the last few days and I know that you've been worried about Sam, so I have entered Dr. Ludwig's number; all you need to do is press 'send'. I would also suggest that you call the witch. I am growing tired of her constant texts and I fear she will not stop until she has made contact with you. I have to give the pilot further instructions – if you require anything just call." He gave me a warm smile and headed to the cockpit.

I appreciated the gesture, but I knew it was only the illusion of privacy. Eric's vamp ears would pick up everything – the question was whether he would bother to pay attention. If I spent any time thinking about it, I would have noticed the similarities between how I felt about his vamp hearing the way that the folks of Bon Temps felt about my "special" hearing. However, my mind was concentrated on other things right then – more specifically about how my friends were doing.

After explaining to Dr. Ludwig who I was (I mean, come on, how many people had she treated for a maenad attack?) and why I was calling from Eric's phone, I finally heard Sam's voice. I let out a small breath of relief.

"Sam? Oh my gosh, Sam, it's so good to hear your voice. I've missed you and I've been so worried. How are you feeling?"

"Alive, thanks to you, chere. But you shouldn't have come – although I'm grateful you did. Dr. Ludwig's been taking real good care of me. She thinks I might be able to go home in a couple of weeks. And that vamp, Pam, called to see how I was. Strange that – I couldn't tell if she was pissed off or happy," he said.

I laughed, "It's always hard to tell with Pam. I expect she isn't too pleased about you having her blood. Have you had any dreams or anything about her?"

"Funny you should mention that – I have had a couple of dreams about her. I'm hopin' that'll pass though," he said ruefully.

"I'm sure it'll fade over time, Sam. And it could be worse – you could be having dreams about Eric or Bill," I chided him.

"Humph. Thanks for puttin' it into perspective, Sook. And thank Eric for all that he's done for me. I really appreciate him helpin' me with the bar – not that I like being indebted to the vamps, but there wasn't a lot of choice. He's a good man, Sook. I mean, I don't completely trust him, but he's done me a huge favour and he's been doin' right by you lately. God, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but, give him a chance, chere – I think he's earned it. But on my life, I will stake him if he hurts you," he finished with some of the old fierceness in his voice.

"Oh, Sam, I don't know…" I began.

"Aw hell, Sook, Dr. Ludwig is coming and she doesn't look happy. I better go – it was good to hear your voice. Call soon, chere," and the line went dead.

It was good to hear Sam's voice, to know that he was getting better— would get better. The thought of losing him was too much to bear. I thanked God in a silent prayer for keeping him safe.

My next call was to Amelia.

"Eric? What's wrong? Is Sookie okay?" she demanded when she answered the phone.

"What? Amelia? It's Sookie— Eric just lent me his phone. How's everything there?" I asked.

"Oh Sookie, I'm so glad you're alright…You are okay aren't you? Are you coming home soon?" Her voice lowered from a shriek to a concerned tone.

"I don't know when I'll be home, Amelia. I'm going to see some woman Eric knows who lives on some deserted island. He says she can help me—and Amelia, I need the help. I was out for 36 hours. I have to learn how to control this thing," I told her, my voice tinged with anxiety. Everything was happening so fast. I'd barely had time to process what the new powers would mean to my life, in fact, I didn't know how they would affect me, and I was jetting off to some island to meet with an old girlfriend of Eric's. Anxious? That was a bit of an understatement.

"Maybe I could talk to Octavia—I'm sure she could help you. Maybe she could do a dampening spell that would make it difficult for you to access the power…"

I knew Amelia and Octavia were very good at their witchy stuff, but I didn't think that burying the power was a good idea. I mean, people got buried all the time, but not all of them stayed six feet under.

"Amelia, I appreciate the offer, but I want to try and do this myself. I mean, what am I supposed to do if something like the other night happens again? If this woman knows how to control it, I gotta give it a shot, right?"

"You're right, Sook," she paused. "Sookie? How well does Eric know this woman he's taking you to?"

"As well as Eric knows most women, Amelia," I said dryly and rolled my eyes.

Amelia's next question was tentative. "You don't think he's going to want to, you know, with both of you, do you?"

My cheeks burned scarlet as I shrieked into the phone, "God, Amelia, no!"

I heard Eric's chuckle from the cockpit and groaned inwardly. Stupid vamp hearing.

"Amelia, I gotta go. Eric needs his phone back. I'll call you once I'm settled in. Look after the house, will you?"

"Sure, roomie, no problem. Look after yourself too, okay? I kinda like having you around."  
"Gee, thanks, Amelia," I said, wryly.

"You know I love you, Sook! Just be careful – and make sure you call me. I miss you, so come home soon," she said, all traces of playfulness gone from her voice.

"I'll be home before you know it, Amelia. I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

"Okay. 'Bye Sookie," she said before hanging up.

A pang of homesickness stabbed at my heart. I missed my friends, I missed my own bed and I missed all of the comforts of my own house. But I knew deep down that this was something I had to do. If there was a chance that Tamaryn could help me, I would be a fool to turn it down. I wondered what she would be like and if we would get along, but before I could travel any further down that road of thought, Eric's tall form appeared in front of me.

"Shit!" I swore, startled. "Maybe you could try approaching at human speed—or would you rather I just tie a bell around your neck?"

He chuckled as he sat down in the seat across from me. Glaring at him, I handed back his phone before remembering my manners.

"Thank you for letting me use your phone, Eric. I really appreciate it; it was so good to hear Amelia's and Sam's voices."

Eric studied me for a moment. "You did not call your brother. Would you like some more privacy to contact him?"

I sighed. "What's the point, Eric? Jason would only be upset that I'm getting a 'free trip'. He wouldn't care why I had to go. Jason's first priority is Jason, and really, I would be surprised if he noticed I was gone," I paused. "How long will I be gone, Eric?" I should have asked before, but I'd been afraid of the answer.

"It's up to you, Sookie. You will be able to stay as long as you need to, as long as you feel that there is something for you to learn. I think that you will like Tarmaryn—I hope that you do, for I will only be able to stay for a couple of days. I will need to return to Shreveport; I cannot risk Madden sneaking around and reporting back to De Castro that I'm neglecting my duties," he said as he absentmindedly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Oh," was all I managed to say. This was something else that I hadn't really thought about. I guess I just assumed that he would stay with me. If I was uncertain about this whole thing before, I was heading towards a full blown panic meltdown now.

Eric's presence would have acted as a buffer between Tamaryn and me. What would I do if I didn't like her? How would I contact the outside world if she turned into some snaggle toothed monster? It wasn't the first time I'd been out of Louisiana, but it would be the first time I didn't have a circle of familiar faces around me.

My anxiety must have seeped through the bond because Eric reached over and patted my knee reassuringly. I gave him a small smile in return. I knew that Eric hadn't been happy with the bond initially – he had made it perfectly clear when he told me that we were bound "a little too tightly" for his liking. So what had changed for him? Was it because he regained his memories of our time together? Or was it because he was able to manipulate and understand the bond better than me? Whatever the answer, he hadn't wavered in his declaration of love for me.

"Are you hungry, Sookie?" Eric's voice tore through my thoughts and pulled me back into the present.

"Huh?" Wow, I had really mastered the finer points of the English language.

"I asked if you were hungry. What were you thinking about that has taken your mind so far away?" his blue eyes bored into mine.

I wave my hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing important, I was just thinking about Tamaryn and if she would really be able to help me," I covered. Eric raised his eyebrow. "You know, I am kind of hungry – are there any sandwiches on board?"

"Yes, I believe there is an assortment in the refrigerator. There should also be some beverages in there. We'll be landing in the next few hours and then we'll take a boat to the island. We should make it to Tamaryn's a couple of hours before sunrise. You might want to get some sleep if you can – you look rather tired," he said as he opened his laptop.

I got up and started to make my way towards the refrigerator.

"Oh, and Sookie? Nice change of subject."

"Gee, Eric, I can't imagine why I haven't run away with you yet. You're such a charmer," I said, rolling my eyes and rooting through the refreshments.

"Thank you, Sookie. I'm so glad you finally have the courage to admit it. And, if you think about it, you are running away with me in a manner of speaking."

Without looking at him I knew he was smirking. Even though I knew I should feign indignation because it was part of the game we played, I couldn't. I smiled to myself and realized that part of what I liked about Eric was his sense of humour. I could be silly with Eric in a way that hadn't been possible with Bill. I truly enjoyed Eric's playful nature and I was rarely actually upset with him—it was just another way of flirting with him.

Rifling through the small fridge I found a chicken and roasted vegetable sandwich as well as a small container of fresh fruit. I grabbed a bottle of water and carried my booty back to my seat. My eyes followed Eric's movements as I ate; amazed at the speed his fingers flew over the keyboard. He didn't look up even though I was sure he could feel my eyes on him. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail and a dark green shirt was stretched over his muscled chest. A smile touched my lips as I drank the sight of him in.

Deep down, I guess it kind of surprised and confused me why a man like Eric, a man who could and did have any woman he wanted, was interested in me. I knew I was attractive, if the number of gropes and disgusting thoughts I heard at Merlotte's was any indication. But I knew that there were more beautiful women out there; women who had university degrees, successful businesses and a pile of money. And yet, Eric said he loved me. Me, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress from a backwater parish. I'm sure anyone could understand why I was skeptical.

I munched thoughtfully on my sandwich as Eric continued to conduct business through a rapid exchange of emails. His face remained impassive and I wondered if he was getting good news, bad news or reading junk mail about penis enlargement…not that he had any problems in that department.

Eric barked out a laugh that startled me and nearly made me choke on a bite of sandwich.

He turned to me, a broad smile on his face, his eyes dancing with laughter and mischief.

"What is it? What's so funny?"

He answered with a single word. "Pam."

"Pam?" I asked, understandably confused. I mean, it wasn't much of an explanation.

"Yes. Pam. It would appear that she had developed some feelings for your shifter boss of late. She is none too pleased about this turn of events. She mentioned something about draining him, but I told her that she was forbidden to harm him. She is complaining because she can sense his moods and is having an urge to…comfort him," Eric said gleefully.

I smiled and laughed with him as we made jokes at Pam's expense. I was glad that Eric finally had something to tease Pam with – Lord knows she'd had enough ammunition over the last couple of years due to my relationship with Eric. I finished my meal and placed the garbage on the tray beside me. My eyes had become heavy with sleep and I looked over to Eric once more and smiled before finally drifting off.


End file.
